Homecoming
by Gothic984
Summary: It's the day of Matt Crower's release and Gail has to help sort his living arrangements, meanwhile Billy has to consider a proposition for a new position in Trinity.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance and Whole Again.

It was cold, windy afternoon in Trinity SC and a light rain had just begun to fall when the funeral service let out. There had been a good turnout of residents for Doctor Monroe's funeral and Reverend Coombs' soothing words helped console the immediate family, who were still in shock over the sudden heart attack that he had suffered.

Lucas Buck had sat at the front of the church performing like a good pillar of the community would, taking pleasure in the loathing Reverend Coombs was projecting towards him. It always made him smile when he crossed paths with the Reverend, the mans god could not protect his daughter Selena from Lucas's influence and he could see the hatred in the Reverends eyes every time they were in the same vicinity.

It amazed Lucas how people could still worship such invisible forces when it was clear no help was coming. He did not judge the religious people in his town, he was more fascinated with their rituals and their need for confession to absolve their sins. He himself had no guilt about anything, he was who he was and he would not apologise or explain himself to anyone. Even sat at the front of the mans funeral Lucas felt no guilt over what he had done to Doctor Monroe, in fact he believed he had done the family a favour by getting rid of the irritating man with his incessant whining and ramblings.

Gail had not reacted well to the mans death however, she partly blamed herself for her constant disregard for his authority and her threats to expose him as corrupt. Lucas had attempted to reassure her that this was not her fault; however, she had snapped then reminded him their relationship was not about comforting each other and if that's what he wanted he could trundle off Selena who required constant reassurance of her worth. This had amused Lucas as their relationship had clearly past the strictly physical stage, but her guard was firmly up after she heard of Doctor Monroe's death and she had reverted back to denying her need for him.

Lucas spotted Gail sat with Caleb, Merlyn, Billy and Selena as he was walking out of the church and resisted the urge to interrupt the little party, instead he met up with the head of Fulton County General Hospital Doctor Charlton and decided it was time to discuss a replacement at Juniper House.

Gail watched discreetly as Lucas performed for his townspeople, shaking hands as he began to exit the church. When he walked past her and up to Doctor Charlton, she rushed Caleb and Merlyn up as she was curious as to what they would be discussing at a time like this. She had chosen to withdraw slightly from her relationship with Lucas and focus on other aspects of her life like her family, work, Matt and the presence within her.

Doctor Monroe's heart attack had made Gail re-evaluate what she was doing here, it was not like her to air her frustrations outwardly and she had aimed a lot of her anger at the man just before his heart gave in. There had wanted to believe that there must have been some underlining issue and she could not be solely to blame; however, Billy had told that the man was healthy and he would have to rule the cause of his death to recent stress. Gail had threatened the man on numerous occasions, against her usual character, and maybe that coupled with Matt's suicide attempt pushed him over the edge.

One thing that she was certain of was being around Lucas clouded her judgement and it was about time she focused on the important things, one of which was the elite men's club she had been welcomed into. Gail signalled for Merlyn to leave them for a moment and put her arm tightly around Caleb as she led him towards Lucas. 'I need your help...' she whispered to him as they neared her desired targets, '...do you fancy being my apprentice for a little bit?'

Caleb smiled, his cousin had forced him to come to the funeral of a man he did not know and he was bored; therefore, he was happy to play along with whatever his cousin wanted him for and it had been a while since she had needed his help. 'Of course, whatever you need cous''

Gail laughed, 'Great, so we've done this before...I need you to be my distraction. Do whatever you want and just have fun with it, but I need that man alone'

Caleb glanced at Lucas stood with a man he recognised from the Halloween party he had attended, he did not know why Gail wanted him alone but he was happy to help and put on his best innocent smile as they reached the pair. 'Hey Lucas' he said happily.

Lucas turned towards the interruption and smiled when he saw his son and his love. This was unexpected seen as Gail had been keeping her distance and he was busy; however, he would never turn his son away, no matter who he was talking to. 'Hey yourself son, how are you doin' after the service?' he asked, taking his attention away from Doctor Charlton.

Caleb smiled, it did not take much to get Lucas' attention and now he just needed to figure out how to get him away from the man so Gail could be alone with him. 'I'm alright, I didn't know the guy but I feel bad for his family'

Lucas nodded, 'Well death is a sorrowful thing son...I'm sure the family will be just fine though'

Caleb glanced up at Gail who just winked at him discreetly and kept quiet, she really was leaving it up to him. 'Can I talk to you for a minute? If you're too busy for me it's alright, I'll just go to Doctor Peele instead'

Gail had to bit her lip to hide a smile, she had chosen to stay quiet as Lucas would know instantly she was involved if she assisted Caleb. She had doubted her cousin could pull this off for a second; however, here he was putting his parentage and Lucas's need to be involved with him to good use, it would be the last thing she would have expected her cousin to use.

Lucas laughed, he was not going to give up the chance to have an intimate conversation with his son especially if the boy was thinking of talking to Billy Peel instead. 'Give me a minute Larry, I'll be right back' he said leading Caleb to one side and looking Gail up and down suggestively as he past her.

Gail watched the pair leave and smiled at the man next to her. 'Well it appears it's just the two of us Doctor Charlton' she said sweetly.

'Call me Larry and believe me I could be in worse company' he said sarcastically.

'You and me both..' Gail said laughing whilst looking at the people leaving the church, '...I'm sorry if my cousin interrupted anything important'

Larry shrugged, she was a part of their group now so he could continue their conversation with her while he waited for Lucas. 'No need to be sorry, we were only pondering over candidates to take over Juniper is all. It appears we have a shortfall of capable medical professionals that may be suitable for the job'

Gail nodded, she knew the position had not been filled yet and wondered how long it would take for Lucas to find someone he could control to take over. It was poor taste to discuss this at Doctor Monroe's funeral; however, if she could suggest a suitable replacement before Lucas could, Juniper might actually have a chance of becoming a good solid institution. She had told Matt she would continue to try to expose Juniper if it remained corrupt, but there could be another way around this. 'You know who is more than capable of stepping up to that role?...' she said without thinking. '...Billy Peele'

Larry considered her suggestion and glanced at the man as he walked out of the church with Selena Coombs. 'You think? He's a good Doctor and all, but I find him to be a little overconfident. We need someone who is good at taking direction'

'Do we though?...' she asked feigning ignorance, '...I mean look at Doctor Monroe for instance, not to speak ill of the dead but the amount of things I managed to uncover under his nose and all because he didn't have the ability to think for himself. With someone like Billy Peele, even though his overconfidence could be seen as a flaw he makes up for it with sheer skill and determination. He is also loyal to his employers and can withstand any amount of scrutiny...and coming from a Reporter that means alot'

'They are good points Miss Emory...' Larry started.

'Call me Gail' she interrupted sweetly.

'OK Gail, I think you may be on to something. I'll get the group together tonight and we'll discuss it over drinks, I'm assuming you'll be joining us?'

Gail smiled, 'Of course...just let me know when'

Larry smiled at the woman in front of him, he could sense she had an ulterior motive for putting forward this suggestion and she reminded him of her grandfather who he held in high regard. It was good to have her in their group, he also thought she would provide Lucas with some much needed resistance which would be interesting. 'Glad to hear it, we'll meet at 9:00pm at John's house. You enjoy the rest of your day Gail, I better get back to my wife before she scolds me for talkin' to such a beautiful young lady'

Gail laughed, 'Take care Larry...I'll see you tonight I guess' she said and looked around for Caleb. When she spotted him she gave him a little wave to indicate she was done.

'Let me get this straight son, you're taken with Poppy who is 5 years your senior and you want advice on how to deal with your feelings? You've come in leaps and bounds son, I didn't expect this talk from you just yet' Lucas said proud of his boy.

Caleb could not think of anything else that he would not be able to speak to Gail about except girl things, he had chosen Poppy as Lucas had commented on her before. 'Well, she's pretty and I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that but I like her. You seem to know a lot so I thought you could help me figure...' Caleb started, then realised Gail was signalling him and cut off his sentence, '...you know what, I'll be alright. Thanks for listenin' Lucas' he said and ran towards Gail.

Lucas watched Caleb run off confused, then looked at Gail who was displaying a smug look on her face. Larry was nowhere to be found and Lucas was beginning to realise he had been played.

Caleb ran to Gail and put his arms around her. 'Did I do good?' he asked, eager for approval.

Gail hugged him back and kissed his forehead. 'You did great, now go find M' she said smiling, then spotted Lucas walking towards her. 'Afternoon Sheriff, did you have a good chat with my cousin?' she asked smugly.

Lucas shook his head, he did not know what she was up to and he was furious that Caleb had gotten involved. 'As a matter of fact I did. Can I have a word with you in private Miss Emory?' he asked taking hold of her arm and leading her back into the now empty church, not waiting for her response.

Gail allowed herself to be lead and smiled reassuringly at Caleb as they past him. When they entered the church Lucas dragged her to the confession booth and roughly threw her in, then closed the door behind them. 'Now Sheriff, is this any way to treat a young woman when children are present' she asked innocently.

Lucas laughed, 'That's why we're in here where there are no witnesses Miss Emory' he said and pushed her against the wall, then lifted up her black dress.

Gail shook her head disapprovingly, 'and what is it you think we're going to do in here Sheriff?'

Lucas turned her around so she was facing the wall of the cramped booth and unzipped his pants. 'Well seen as you crashed my discussion with the good Doctor, we're doin' whatever I want...' he said as he ripped off her thong effortlessly. '...you've been a bad girl Miss Emory' he smiled and spanked her bare behind teasingly.

Gail took a deep intake of breath, she was not prepared for this and did not want it at this moment in time. 'No' she said, turning back around to face him.

'No?' Lucas asked bemused. With her mood of late he could not tell whether she was being serious or playful, so choice to got with the latter. He pulled her close to him and moved his hand to her sweet spot, upon stroking her he found that she was ready for him if he chose to take her.

Gail gripped his wrist and shook her head. 'I said no Lucas!' she said sternly, but it was as though her words were falling on deaf ears.

Lucas disregarded her words as part of the usual games they played and lifted her up, wrapped her legs around him then slammed her against the wall, pushing his manhood inside her. He bit down on her neck at the intense pleasure he felt as he entered her uninvited and started thrusting in and out of her.

Gail could not stifle her aroused moan as he forced himself into her, she tried to protest and clawed at his back but this only resulted in him pounding even harder. Her body completely betrayed her and she felt her climax rising from deep within her, she could not deny that she was excited with doing this forbidden act in a church and knew she would regret it later.

Lucas smiled as her resistance began to waiver and he felt her tighten her legs around his waist, the fact that she was allowing him to take her in this sacred place aroused him even more as he could not even get Selena to commit this sacrilege with him. He sucked on her neck then tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her to him for a passionate kiss, his climax was building inside him and a sharp burst of pleasure surged through him with each thrust.

Gail allowed him to kiss her, then bit his lip angrily. He had taken her when she had meant no, it was just unfortunate that her body enjoyed this treatment so she could not openly be mad at him as she was giving off conflicting signals. Her orgasm was close and she nuzzled her face into his neck to stifle her moans. When she felt him bite down hard on her neck to stifle his yell as he filled her with his fluids, she bit down hard and pierced his skin at the intensity of her climax.

Lucas held her firmly against the wall for a few minutes while they both caught their breath, then released his manhood and cleaned her off with a handkerchief that was stuffed in his pocket. He watched as she pulled her dress down appearing to be angry, then took her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

Gail pulled away from the embrace after a minute and shook her head. 'Next time listen to what I'm saying Lucas' she said, then stormed past him to find her cousin.

Lucas smiled, no matter how much she wanted to resist him her attempts were futile and this proved he could have her whenever he wanted.

* * *

Matt Crower stood outside of Juniper House holding a small suitcase with all of his belongings, waiting to be picked up. He was being supervised by a male orderly who appeared to be annoyed at Matt's constant questioning about the time, Gail was supposed to pick him up at approximately 3:00pm after Doctor Monroe's funeral; however, it had past that time which meant something unexpected had caused her delay.

Part of Matt felt like this was all too good to be true and had wondered whether his supposed release was some sort of cruel joke orchestrated by Lucas Buck, but so far he had been met with no resistance from the orderlies or any of the staff in Juniper; therefore, he was starting to allow himself to believe what was happening. When he heard the familiar load sound of the mustang heading his way, he could not hide his excitement any longer and relief flooded through his whole body.

Gail exited the car and signalled for Caleb to jump in the back with Merlyn, she was still in her funeral attire and felt dirty after her encounter with Lucas; however, she could not bring herself to make Matt wait any longer than he had to, so had come straight for him when she could. She could not help but smile when she caught sight of his child like grin, it was as though he had been grounded for a prolonged amount of time and was being allowed out for the first time. 'Sorry I'm late, throw your bag in the boot and hop in the front with me' she said and took his file from the male orderly before heading back to the drivers side of the car.

Matt sat comfortably in the front passenger seat and regarded the children warmly when they both stroked his shoulders. It had been a long time since he had been truly happy and although the girl in the back seat still reminded him of Merlyn Temple, which had caused him unease, he felt happy to be with all of his present company. 'How was the funeral?' he asked.

'Boring' Caleb said without thinking, then shimmied down in his seat in an attempt to get away from Gail's unimpressed glare in the rear view mirror.

'It was a nice service and a lot of people were there' Merlyn said trying to take the attention off her brother, sometimes he appeared to have no common sense.

Matt smiled at Merlyn then turned his attention towards Gail, she was being very quiet and did not appear to be acting her usual self. 'What are you thinking about Gail?'

Gail was thinking about Lucas, what they did and how excited she was to see him again tonight at the meeting. She enjoyed watching him work a room and she would have to get her urges in check to ensure he did not provoke any inappropriate behaviour. She could not discuss this with her present company or anyone else for that matter, so she tried to put it out of her mind. 'I'm thinking about where's best to put you until we figure out a permanent living arrangement. I have no room at my place but I promised I'd keep you supervised so we might just have to make do for now'

'I could stay with Caleb and he could have my room' Merlyn said, trying to assist with the dilemma.

'I don't mind sleeping on the couch if there's no room' Matt suggested.

'I could just stay at Lucas's and that would free up a lot of space' Caleb said thinking out loud and had to grip the seat when Gail slammed her foot on the breaks, then exited the car.

Both Merlyn and Matt turned towards Caleb as though he had said the worst thing in the world, but Caleb just shrugged. 'It was only a thought!' he snapped, then jumped out of the car in a huff.

Gail sat on the bonnet of the car while Caleb opted to sit on the boot. Matt looked between them both and went to exit the car, when Merlyn shook her head. 'I'd just leave them too it if I were you, they only get annoyed if you try to help'

'What's happening with them?' Matt asked concerned.

Merlyn smiled sadly, 'Lucas Buck is what's happenin''

Gail sat looking up at the sky, trying to push down her anger. For a moment she felt the presence within her take control upon hearing Caleb's comment, she had to stop the car to get some air and concentrate on pushing it back down inside her. She was beginning to feel there was some ill feeling towards her cousin and it worried her; therefore, she needed to figure out a way to gain full control for good.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she had not noticed Caleb had come around to her from his place on the boot of the car and sighed when he sat next to her. 'You really want to stay at Lucas's house?' she asked, 'I want the truth...I won't be offended'

Caleb looked down at his hands, it was a subconscious thought and he had not meant to make her angry. 'I guess I do, I don't know why...it just might be fun' he said honestly.

Gail smiled, it was certainly fun when she stayed at Lucas's house. She bit her lip and pushed down the naughty thought, this was serious. 'You know I wouldn't let you stay there alone right? How would you feel about that?'

Caleb looked up at his cousin and smiled. 'Just me and you stayin' at Lucas's? I think I'd like that'

Gail inhaled deeply and shook her head. 'He's gonna be so smug with you instigating this...' she laughed, trying to hide her doubts about it. '...keep this between me and you for now, Matt doesn't need to be involved. I'll sort it all out OK?'

'Yes ma'am' he said giving her a hug and jumping of the bonnet.

'Well now that that's settled, let's get our passengers home' she said smiling and they both got back into the car.

* * *

Gail arrived at the Mayor's house an hour early, so she could catch up with Mary. She was glad to hear that the Mayor was keeping is hands to himself these days and Mary confirmed that her home life did not involve being used as a punching bag anymore. Mary was sent upstairs when John's guests began to arrive and Gail was left alone with a few men she was not familiar with; therefore, she chose to excuse herself for some fresh air and took a casual stroll around the premises.

As Gail wandered around the well kept garden she began to think about the gravestone that was hidden away at the far side of Lucas's back garden, she had not had much chance to be fully alone with her thoughts since the incident with Matt and she found herself curious as to what else was hidden in plain sight. 'Rosemary' she whispered to herself as she circled back to the house, the name had a familiar feel to it; however, she did not know why.

'Well,well...look who has her first meeting with the big boys' Lucas said sarcastically standing right in front of her, then frowned when it took her a few seconds to notice him which indicated something was bothering her. 'Are you OK Darlin'?'

Gail continued walking to the front of the house, only acknowledging him for a moment when she side stepped around him. She had been deep in thought and felt agitated as she had been interrupted. 'I'm fine Sheriff, shall we go in?' she sighed and continued on to the front door.

Lucas grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her close to a bush, the members of the group were arriving not far from where they stood; however, they knew better than to try and pry into his business. 'If I've done something to offend you, it wasn't intentional' he whispered, cupping her chin gently and raising her face to look into her eyes.

Gail let out a small laugh, 'Is that your way of apologising for something? I mean it I'm fine, just a little preoccupied is all. Now I believe people are waiting for us Sheriff' she said and pulled free from his grip then walked towards the front door. When she entered the house she headed for the sound of men laughing, she was nervous; however, she would never allow that to show so she walked into the large study confidently, then forced a smile when all conversation stopped and eyes focused on her.

The room was filled with the highest professionals of this town, there was Judge Tregar, Doctor Larry Charlton, Doctor Pike, Principle Sadler, Mr Ramsey the owner of the Trinity Guardian, hell there was even Reverend Carson of the Baptist Church and that was just naming a few. Gail started to doubt her decision to join this group and she may be slightly in over her head; however, Lucas's warm hand that gently stroked her back provided her with reassurance and she let Lucas lead her further in.

'Evenin' all...I heard Larry called this meeting as he felt the need to explore our options for Juniper, so let's get this over with' Lucas said as he gently pushed Gail towards a large grandfather chair and perched himself on the arm of it.

Gail remained detached and used her journalist skills to survey the room to give her a better understanding of what she was dealing with. She was interested to discover who would step forth first, as this would be the person who was most eager to gain Lucas's favour. There was a moment of silence then Reverend Carson spoke up, Gail would not have bet he would be the one to come forth first; however, she now had an unexpected place to start with her investigations.

'I for one trust whoever you feel is up to the job Lucas...' Reverend Carson said, '...I'm not sure why there was a need to gather over this'

Gail watched curiously as most of the room murmured their agreement, it appeared that there truly was no one with a back bone to challenge Lucas here.

'The reason for this meeting is to ensure the next head of Juniper isn't a babbling idiot like Monroe was, god rest his soul' Larry spoke up, then walked slowly around the room.

Gail was intrigued by this man, he had an air of importance about him and he did not appear to care about the shocked faces all around him. Doctor Pike, who she remembered from an auction she attended with Caleb and Matt not long after she came to Trinity, tried to grab Larry's arm but he shrugged him off easily and approached Lucas.

'I heard an interesting suggestion earlier today Lucas, unless you counter it with someone just as capable I believe we should offer the position to Billy Peele'

Lucas forced a laugh, then glanced at Gail disapprovingly. 'Peele? and who came up with that bright idea? The man has as much personality as a piece of cardboard'

Larry shrugged, 'Our newest member brought him to my attention and I decided to look him up. He's done wonders for the CDC and I believe he might be just what we need to make Juniper a credible facility, especially after the whispers I've heard about Doctor Monroe's private experiments'

Gail watched Lucas closely, she sensed he was seething at being challenged so publicly; however, he remained outwardly calm and part of her wanted to see how much he could tolerate. 'Billy is very smart and you're lucky to have him in this town. He's overqualified to say the least and an opportunity like this could keep him grounded here, which could benefit the town' she added to assist Larry.

Lucas smiled and shook his head, he was not used to being challenged at these meetings. He was so distracted with Gail's presence and contribution to the discussion that his mind went blank, which prevented him from coming up with a counter suggestion. This was frustrating, he did not like the feeling of not being in control. 'Billy Peele is an outsider Darlin', you haven't been here long enough to understand the way we work. When we promote we do it to our own, not outsiders' he stated dominantly.

Gail laughed, 'How very old fashioned of you...I've been away from this town most of my life and I'm still the best most qualified journalist you have to offer. Technically I'm an outsider, but I appear to have been welcomed here with open arms'

'She's right Lucas...' spoke up Doctor Pike, '...we all look forward to her stories, the Guardian is starting to get great again because of her edge. Billy Peele is more than capable of watching over Juniper, it might be good to have a fresh take on things there'

Lucas stood up and addressed the room fully. 'Is this what you all want?...come on now, don't all speak up at once' he said trying to hide his agitation with the situation.

The room remained quiet, no one wanted to challenge Lucas; however, no one stood up and challenged the notion put forward by Doctor Charlton. Larry winked at Gail and smiled, he did not know why but there was something about this woman that made him want to please her. 'Well it's settled then, there's no one voting against this suggestion so someone can offer the position to Doctor Peele'

Lucas shook his head in exasperation, he would not offer any position to that ass. It was bad enough that he was screwing his ex, now he was to hold a position of power within his town? Lucas was beyond annoyed at the way this meeting was turning out.

'I'll talk to him...' Gail said standing up, '...I'll be meeting up with him tomorrow anyway'

Lucas laughed, 'Well it appears democracy prevails...let's call an end to this so I can get back to doin' something useful with my time' he said and walked out of the room.

Gail nodded towards Doctor Charlton triumphantly then followed Lucas to the front door and placed a hand on his wrist. 'Don't be such a spoil sport Sheriff...' she said playfully, '...I may have won this round, but you're winning something you're not even aware of'

Lucas opened the door and led Gail down the drive. 'Is that so? and what would that be Miss Emory'

Gail bit her lip in frustration, 'Your son's affections it would seem' she said. She had not wanted to broach this subject here; however, she did not want him taking his bad mood out on some poor soul so she chose to distract him.

'What do you mean?' he asked curiously.

Gail laughed and shook her head, 'This is a subject for another day...I'm tired and I'm going home' she said and left him with his thoughts.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Matt was roused from a deep sleep by the bright sun which shone on his face through the large window in Gail's bedroom, he was used to a dark cell with a small barred window and he had become unaccustomed to the warm sensation that the sun could produce through a window in the morning. Matt rubbed his eyes, rolled over and stretched across the whole kingsize bed. Gail had opted for sleeping with Caleb and allowed Matt to stay in her bed for the night, until she could figure out a more permanent solution to his living arrangements.

The smell of bacon caught his senses and he sat up, contemplating whether he wanted to stay in this comfortable bed or get some nice home-cooked food. Rocky's low moans at the door made his decision for him, so he got out of bed to change then opened the door to face the day. Rocky ran straight into the kitchen and Matt smiled at Gail's startled curse, when he peered into the kitchen he could see Gail in her pyjama's alone cooking breakfast. 'What no children yet?' he asked as he leaned against the counter.

Gail shook her head while bending down to give Rocky an affectionate stroke. 'It's after 11:00am Matt, everyone is up and out. M took Caleb to school and is probably wandering around somewhere, I thought I'd wait for you to wake up before heading into the office. I hope you're hungry, I cooked enough food to feed a horse!' she laughed.

Matt had not realised it was so late in the morning, he had been so comfortable in her bed that he had slept longer than he usually did.

'You must've needed it' Gail said subconsciously reading his mind and started putting the food out on plates. 'Whatever you don't eat Rocky will have, so don't force yourself. Now that my bedroom is unoccupied I'm going to find some appropriate clothes to wear'

Matt laughed, 'I don't know...I think you could give the pyjama look a comeback if you tried'

Gail smiled, 'I'm sure my boss would love me to waltz into the office like this' she said sarcastically and headed into her bedroom to change.

When she closed the bedroom door she let out a sigh of relief, she had ensured the children had gone out early so she could monitor Matt's behaviour without her having to worry about them. She wanted to trust that he was not dangerous; however, she needed to be sure before she allowed him unsupervised access to Caleb.

'Harvard wouldn't dare fall outta line Darlin'...' Lucas said leaning against her bedroom door, '...he know's I'd be all over that'

Gail rolled her eyes and turned towards her lover. 'You need to back off, the only time anything happens with him is when you get involved. Providing you behave around him everything will be fine'

Lucas walked towards Gail, stroked her cheek gently then pulled her face towards his and inhaled her scent. He looked at her suspiciously when her scent remained unchanged, as he was picking up on something else. He walked casually towards her bed, picked up the sheets in his hand then through them down displeased. 'Your bed reeks of him...did you cosy up to someone else while I wasn't around last night Darlin'?' he asked, trying to keep a lid on his emotions. He suddenly felt a twinge of paranoia and he did not like this feeling.

Gail sighed then continued searching for some suitable clothes to wear. 'Do I really need to account for every little thing I do when you're not around? I wasn't aware our relationship warranted that type of accountability'

Lucas inhaled deeply, he could feel his blood beginning to boil and his twin was itching to be released to deal with Matt Crower. Lucas knew the man would inevitably cause some friction in their relationship and he was attempting to deal with this in a reasonable manner; however, her blatant disregard for his feelings right now was infuriating him. He forced a laugh to hide his outrage, he would never allow a woman to know she had gotten under his skin. 'If that's how you want this Darlin' I might invite Selena to come over tonight and stay in my bed, with their being no accountability and all. I have no doubt she'd jump at the opportunity to prove how loyal and committed she is'

Gail took a deep breath to hide her irritation, she had not meant her comment to come across in the manner that it had; however, she would not be controlled by any man and would certainly not back down. 'Well if that's what you want Sheriff, I might just invite Billy to stay over with me tonight. I'm sure he would jump at the chance to spend some close personal time with me, while his other half is proving her commitment to you' she said suggestively.

Lucas shook his head slowly, he knew Billy had a thing for Gail and he doubted he would turn her down if she was to offer herself to him. It appeared her old stubbornness had returned and she was starting to mend the barrier within herself that was in place when she arrived in Trinity, if he allowed her to do that he would have to waste his time breaking her down again and he did not have the patience for that. 'What would you possibly get from that primitive ignoramus except dull pounding?...You require more than that to get off Miss Emory' he said approaching her slowly from behind.

Gail sensed him close the distance between them and inhaled deeply in anticipation. She did not know why the conversation had turned the way it had; however, it appeared he was giving her a way out which kept her ego intact. 'Maybe I'd like a simple experience Sheriff, everything doesn't have to be so complicated and well thought out all the time'

Lucas placed his hands on her hips, turned her around and gently threw her down on the bed. 'If the lady require's simple, who am I to deny her request?' he said seductively as he pulled off his shirt, unzipped his pants and pulled off her pyjama bottoms.

Gail allowed Lucas to climb on top of her and wrapped her legs around him. She moved her hands over his chest then to his back, 'You don't have a simple bone in your body Sheriff' she whispered and nipped at his neck.

Lucas moved his hand down to her sweet spot and smiled when he felt how moist she was already. 'I may not have, but I know what you like Miss Emory' he said, gently pushing his manhood inside her and nipping at her chin enticingly.

Gail bit her lip to stifle her moan as he entered her, then pulled his face to hers for a passionate kiss. His movements were slow and erotic, this was a big change from how he took her in the church and she was finding it hard to keep up with what he wanted from her. She chose to just lay back and allow him to take her softly, clawing her nails down his bare back to show her acceptance of him.

Lucas kissed her neck tenderly as he pushed in and out of her slowly. This pace was frustrating and it required a lot of his self control to maintain; however, it allowed him to feel his orgasm slowly building within him and he was beginning to enjoy the experience of taking her this way. When he felt her nails dig into his back and heard her short breaths, he picked up the pace slightly. Her moans mirrored his and it was obvious they were both reaching their peak together so he continued to quicken the pace.

Gail felt her orgasm slowly rising within her, when he chose to thrust in and out quicker it did not take her long to reach her climax and she bit down hard on his shoulder to stifle her yell. She smiled when Lucas buried his head in her neck to keep the volume of his moans to a minimum and kissed his cheek affectionately when he lay motionless on top after he erupted inside her. 'I appreciate your consideration for the person in the other room' she whispered and nipped at his ear.

Lucas raised his head to look into her eyes. 'My consideration is for you and the consequences you would have to deal with if he heard us Darlin'' he said and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Gail smiled, 'Well thank you either way...now I need you to get off so I can get ready'

'What you mean we aren't staying like this all day?' he asked sarcastically, laughing when she shot him a warning glance and allowed her up so she could continue getting dressed.

* * *

Billy walked casually around the hospital corridors with his hands in his pockets, smiling at each person who past him. He had been in Trinity for about a year now and he could not believe this sleepy little town had kept his interest; although, if he was honest it was more certain people he had grown accustomed to rather than the town itself.

Billy had a solid career with the CDC and he loved his job as he got to travel all around the world helping people; however, that all came to a stand still when he arrived in Trinity. He had several opportunities throughout the years to settle down and take a normal well paid 'safe' position in a medical practice or hospital, but that had never interested him.

Like his friend Gail, Billy was all for the adventure and excitement of the unknown. He had taken risks that had led him into more than one dangerous situation in his time just like she had and he truly believed they were kindred spirits, which is why he valued her as his closest friend. Now here he was with his mundane existence walking the corridors of this typical hospital, just like she was with her mundane small town newspaper. He did not know how a boring town like this managed to trap two adventurous professionals like them; however, they had both fallen prisoner to it's curse.

'That's a bit melodramatic don't you think Billy-Boy?' Lucas said from behind him.

Billy rolled his eyes and turned around to witness Lucas leaning casually against a wall appearing to be reading the Trinity Guardian. He genuinely did not understand what his friend saw in this tiresome man, she was a smart woman and it was hard to believe she wasted her time someone so supercilious.

'Oh I'm truly hurt...' Lucas said reading his mind, '...for someone as important as you to hold me in such low regard makes me really want to change' he laughed sarcastically and approached Billy. He did not like how he doted over Gail and if her darkness had not made itself known he would have ended this man by now; however, he was to be on his best behaviour for his love until he understood the true extend of her darkness. 'Who Gail chooses to waste her time on is non of your concern Doc...hell she's even been throwing some of it your way, unbeknownst to you'

Billy stood tall as Lucas approached him, he did not care for the fact that the man appeared to be reading his mind or his smugness at knowing something he did not. 'If Gail wants to throw some of her time my way that's not a problem Buck. In fact, I'd happily be the centre of that woman's attention' he said suggestively, knowing this would bother the man before him.

Lucas applauded the man for trying to bate him and usually it would work; however, as he had just come from servicing his love, he had no doubt that she was not interested in Billy Peele. 'Speaking as the one who is the centre of her attention these days Doc, you couldn't handle what she has to offer' he said and smiled when Billy shifted irritated on the spot.

'What do you want Buck? I have patients to attend to' Billy asked, growing tired of this game.

Lucas shrugged, it looked like Billy-boy could not handle the banter after all. 'I thought I'd come give you a heads up as your friend may be gettin' you into somethin' that's way over your head, that's all Doc'

Billy had not spoken to Gail since she returned from her meeting late last night, he had agreed to babysit Matt while she was gone and expected she would share the details of the meeting when she had returned; however, she kept whatever was discussed to herself. 'What do you mean Buck? Just spit it out. I doubt Gail would get me into something without discussing it with me first' he said agitated with this visit.

Lucas laughed and held his hands up in a surrendering manner. 'Whoa there Doc, no need to get tetchy...' he said amused at the reaction he had gotten, '...If you believe Gail wouldn't use you to her advantage, I think you're sorely mistaken. That woman managed to climb to the top of her profession with no family and no financial assistance, you can't do that without being ruthless friend. Maybe you should get off your high horse and talk to her before you assume my warnin' is false'

Billy shook his head and watched as Lucas began to walk away. 'Why should I ever believe you would go out of your way to genuinely warn me of something?' he called.

Lucas turned around and smiled devilishly. 'Maybe after our few nights out you're growin' on me Billy-boy' he shrugged and continued to walk down the hospital corridor.

Billy watched Lucas retreat down the corridor and took a deep breath in an attempt to push down his agitation. He did not for one minute believe Lucas had his best interests at heart; however, he began to wonder what Gail could possibly have done. Billy decided to take his lunch break early and see if he could locate his friend.

* * *

Gail sat in her office at the Trinity Guardian typing up her notes on Juniper, she was going to shelve the article; however, she disregarded that option and decided she would report honestly on the institute. She never backed away from a story and she would not start now just because certain people would not appreciate what she had to say.

Whilst typing up her findings and theories, she had realised she had turned biased towards the place as all she had written was bad. She would re-evaluate Juniper before she passed the article to be published and ensure she had performed a thorough investigation, as she was concerned a lot of her negative feelings for the place were due to Matt.

She was interrupted from her train of thought by a knock on the office door. 'Miss Emory, there's a man here to see you' came the quiet voice of the office receptionist.

Gail removed her glasses and forced a warm smile, she did not like being interrupted or waited on by a receptionist; however, the girl was just doing her job. 'Do we have a name of the man?' she asked.

The receptionist looked nervously down at her hands, 'I didn't get one sorry'

'Will you stop torturing this young girl and invite me in' Billy said from behind the girl.

Gail smiled and signalled for the girl to return to whatever she had been doing, then stood up and walked around her desk to meet Billy. 'Hey Doctor, to what to I owe this unexpected visit?'

Billy nudged Gail out of the way playfully and started to survey her office, he had not been here before and she had said it was huge; however, he had not expected it to be quite this extravagant . 'Wow...you could fit a football team in here' he said as he walked to the large window and looked down at the street below.

Gail shook her head and crossed her arms, 'Don't be so dramatic...it's not that big'

Billy laughed, 'Are you kidding? It's over double the size of mine...I thought you didn't like being cooped up in an office, how come you're here? It took me ages to find you'

Gail shrugged and approached Billy at the window. 'I guess my Editor was right that I'd grow tired of the distractions at my house, this is the only quiet time I can get these days'

Billy nodded, if she wasn't surrounded by the two children it was either Matt or Lucas that were hovering around. It was understandable that she would require some alone time to be able to concentrate on her work, he didn't understand how she managed to juggle so much.

'Skill...' Gail laughed, subconsciously reading his mind and signalled for him to follow her to the coach, '...Now what can I do for you?' she asked as they both sat down.

Billy did not like games and he knew Gail didn't either, they were both professionals that had better things to do than wasting their time beating around the bush; therefore, he chose to just come out and say what was on his mind. 'I had a visit from your other half earlier, warning me about some thing you were getting me involved in'

Gail inhaled deeply in exasperation, she should have known Lucas would retaliate when the meeting last night did not go his way. She appreciated Billy's getting straight to the point; however, she had hoped she would have a bit more time before she had to discuss this with him. 'Well it's nice to see you making friends with my other half...' she said sarcastically and decided to take a lighthearted approach with this, '...I wouldn't say I'm getting you involved in anything, more trying to better your career here in Trinity'

Billy forced a laugh, he did not like being a pawn in something he was not aware of but knew if he snapped at her then her attitude would change drastically. 'Oh us men like to stick together, especially when woman appear to be scheming behind our backs' he said returning her sarcasm.

Gail was growing tired with this conversation, she had been making good progress with her article and was in mid flow of typing when he had interrupted her. She placed a hand tenderly on his knee, playing towards his affection for her and leaned closer to him. 'Do you trust me?' she asked sweetly.

Billy took a sharp intake of breath and attempted to push down his inappropriate thoughts. He knew she was aware of how he felt about her; however, she just allowed it to go unaddressed and chose to continue on with their friendship as it was. It had been a while since she had allowed them to be that close as the reactions from their partners would likely be catastrophic if they witnessed it, so this unexpected closeness was beginning to make him become unraveled. 'You know I do' he whispered, leaning his face closer to hers.

Gail smiled then leaned her head on his shoulder affectionately and allowed him to put his arm around her, she was not concerned at how this would look to Lucas's little spies in the office as he had brought this on himself by visiting her friend. 'I have your best interest at heart, that's all you need to know...just trust me' she said softly, running her hand up and down his leg.

Billy pulled her closer into his chest and inhaled her scent, her sweet fragrance was intoxicating and this closeness was affecting his ability to think rationally. 'You're the person I trust most here Gail, I know you wouldn't do anything bad...it just would've been nice not to have Lucas Buck be the first person to tell me about something'

Gail snuggled closer into Billy's chest, this was taking longer than she had hoped so she gently stroked her hand down his chest and smiled to herself when he could not hide his deep intake of breath. She knew she should not play with his affections and she would never allow it to go any further than this; however, he was a simple creature and a sucker for the attention of pretty girl, there was no harm in using that to dispel his worry. 'Lucas hasn't really told you anything though has he? He's riled you up and sent you on your way hoping you would cause a rift in our friendship, but we're too close for that aren't we?'

Billy closed his eyes at the warm sensation that rushed through his body when she stroked his chest, her words made him feel stupid for allowing Lucas to get into his head and make him doubt her. He did not know what he was thinking believing that man and coming here, he should know better than to trust Lucas Buck. 'Gail, I'm sor...' he started but she pushed herself up and touched his lips softly with her finger.

'Don't you dare finish that sentence, you've done nothing to apologise for. I'll fill you in fully later, but for now take pride in the fact that whatever is happening has bothered our lovely Sheriff so much that he's felt the need to try and turn you to his side'

Billy nodded, 'Don't you worry...I take pleasure in knowing his attempt has failed'

Gail smiled warmly at her friend, 'Good...now I need to get back to work. Can we meet up later for dinner just the two of us? or do you think Selena would have a temper tantrum?'

Billy shrugged and got off the coach, then held out a hand to assist Gail in standing up. 'She can whine all she wants, she knows the score...I'll talk mine down if you can keep a leash on yours'

Gail laughed, 'Lucas has no say in what I do or who I do it with...I'll text you later and we'll arrange it properly'

Billy smiled and stroked Gail's arm affectionately before leaving the office. Gail shook her head and ran her hand through her hair, then walked slowly back towards her desk.

'Well played' Lucas said leaning against her office door clapping.

Gail sighed and turned towards him, it appeared she was not destined to get any work done today. 'Close the door' she said as she walked over to the blinds in her office and closed them, aware that all eyes in the department would be fixed firmly on her and Lucas.

Lucas glanced at the Reporters in the large room behind him and they all turned to look in any other direction other than at him, then he closed the door to Gail's office so they had some privacy. 'That was a very cosy display Darlin', should I be concerned?'

Gail sat on her desk and smiled, 'I didn't realise jealousy was your forte Sheriff'

Lucas let out an unimpressed laugh and approached her slowly, glancing around her office as he got closer. 'I wouldn't go that far Miss Emory...although when my lover decides to cosy up with another man stroking his chest, I might be forgiven for being a little curious as to where that might lead'

'Your lover wouldn't have to cosy up to another man had you not sent him off guns blazing to her office'

Lucas shrugged and pulled her to a standing position so he could meet her eyes. 'Your lover wouldn't have to send the arrogant idiot to you if you had kept out of a matter that should not involve you'

Gail looked deep into Lucas's eyes and felt her desire beginning to rise within her, 'It appears the matter involves the whole group, which includes me Sheriff' she said defiantly.

Lucas pushed down the urge to grab her and throw her down on the desk behind her, he needed to insert his dominance here and giving in to his urges would not help achieve that goal. 'That group wouldn't know a competent man if he hit them in the face Darlin'. This town is run in a certain way...I appreciate you are new to our ways and I would've expected you to sit this one out, but you seem hell bent on interferin' with this and I'm at a loss as to why this is so important to you'

Gail stood tall and smiled, she was not intimidated by him at all and never would be. 'Aww, you're cute when you're confused Sheriff...my interest in this is for the good of your town. Whatever way this goes I will be submitting my story on Juniper, the outcome of it just depends on whether we have another Doctor Monroe running the place or someone much more competent and fair. I couldn't care less about your little group and what trivial things they may debate over, but this isn't trivial and my conscience will not let me sit back and allow you to employ another corrupt disciple of yours, when the patients in that institution need some actual help'

Lucas could not help but laugh at her statement, her moral code was amusing and she was sexy as hell when she got like this. 'Whoa there Darlin', you might wanna take it down a peg or two. Do you think anyone in this town actually cares about that institution? People ship off their relatives to Juniper when they can't be bothered lookin' after them, if it wasn't for the money I put into that place the patients would be a lot more worse off then they have been'

The one thing Gail could not stand was when a man laughed at her, it was a blatant sign of disrespect and it infuriated her. It took all her strength not react to her lover laughing in her face, but she was determined not to let him get under her skin. 'How touching Lucas, if I didn't know you better I'd say you had a soft spot for the poor souls trapped in that corrupt place'

'I have a soft spot for all the residents in my town Gail, except for you...I have a very hard spot reserved only for you' he said taking hold of her hand and placing it on his hard manhood.

Gail inhaled deeply and shook her head, she could not help but smile at the audacity of the man before her. 'I guess I should be flattered' she said licking and biting her lips teasingly.

Lucas smiled, he could sense her desire was as strong as his and he could not resist his urges any longer. 'I don't believe we've broken in this office yet have we?' he asked playfully and began to lead her towards the large window, he could take her up here whilst watching people walk by and no one would ever know.

Gail allowed herself to be led, then kissed him passionately when he pulled her to him. She should know better than to entertain this at her work place; however, the man was insatiable and she did not have the will power to deny him at this present time. Lucas pushed her gently so she was facing the window and began to lift up her skirt, she leaned back into him and allowed him to nip at her neck then pushed away from him quickly when she heard a knock at her door.

The look of anger on Lucas's face as he turned to the door was worrying, so Gail stepped in front of him and shot him a warning glance to step down. As she was fixing her skirt the knock came again and she could not hide the irritation in her voice. 'What?' she called and instantly softened when she heard the voice at the other side of the door.

'It's Caleb Temple, your only living relation...are you gonna invite me in or what?' Caleb asked impatiently.

Lucas shook his head and sighed, 'His timing's impeccable ain't it?' he said watching Gail return to her desk.

Gail rolled her eyes at him and sat down behind her desk, 'Since when do you need an invite...' she called to her cousin '...come in'

Caleb opened to office door and strolled in the room, oblivious of what he had just interrupted. He glanced from Lucas to Gail, then perched himself on his cousins desk. 'Did you talk to him?' he asked and picked up the jar of mints that were on the desk.

'Talked to me about what?' Lucas asked taking a seat on the coach and disregarding the stench of Billy Peele on it.

Gail look from Lucas, who had suddenly made himself comfortable, to Caleb who was raiding her jar of mints and stood up. The pair of them were as bad as each other for stopping her from doing her work. 'No I haven't...' she said to Caleb, '...and it's nothing important' she said to Lucas.

'It's important enough for the boy to bring up' Lucas said standing up and approaching her.

'Well it can wait...now if you don't mind Sheriff I'm at work and would appreciate it if you allowed me to continue doing my job'

Lucas glanced at Caleb who just shrugged and decided she did not appear to be in the mood for him to push the matter. 'Alright Darlin', you know where to find me when you're ready to talk...you be good for this ol' cousin of yours son' Lucas said rustling Caleb's hair as he left them together in the office

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Billy paced around Selena's kitchen with a mug of black coffee in his hand, he had been agitated ever since his dinner with Gail and her revealing he was the candidate most likely to be offered the position of Head Doctor in Juniper House. At first he was angry at Gail for putting his name forward; however, when she explained that he was the only trustworthy capable person for the job and it through a spanner in the works for Lucas, who was irritated the decision had been taken away from him, he had calmed down.

Billy had accepted and settled into his life here in Trinity, but he had not actually considered the possibility of staying here permanently and if he was offered such a position within Juniper it was something he would have to think about. He was happy with Selena and his friends, he was having the most fun he had in a long time with the likes of Ben and Gail; however, much like Gail he was a restless person and the thought of remaining in one place indefinitely did not appeal to him at all.

Gail had assured him that he was not trapped here and this position would only serve as furthering his expertise in the medical profession. She had played to his ego and painted a good picture of what he could accomplish; however, even her little tight short dress and high heels could not distract him enough from the feeling of being used. Billy was a proud man and the thought of being a pawn in someones game did not sit well with him, he trusted Gail implicitly but she had been with Lucas for a while and he began to wonder if the mans lack of morals were rubbing off on her.

'Billy honey, what are you doing up so early?...come back to bed' Selena said entering the kitchen rubbing her eyes.

Billy disregarded Selena's request, the more he thought about the situation the more agitated he felt. Gail was stubborn like he was and he knew better than to challenge her without a proper counter argument, the Juniper offer had taken him completely off guard and he could not think of any plausible reason to reject it at that time which had left him feeling impuissant. He did not like the feeling of being powerless, so he grabbed Selena roughly and pushed her down on the kitchen table.

Selena let out a surprised yell then placed her hands on the table to give herself some support and allowed Billy to take her roughly from behind. She did not know what had come over him; however, she had not been treated in such a questionable way since the last time she had been with Lucas and she welcomed the roughness.

Billy pushed Selena's face further into the table then pounded in and out of her hard. She had not protested or tried to stop him from taking her this way, so he took her compliance as acceptance and gripped her buttocks tight while he worked out his frustrations on her. The more he thought back to the meal with Gail the more he felt a rage come over him at being cornered, he could never hurt his friend; however, the woman before him was clearly not fragile and he was thankful for her unwavering acceptance of him.

Selena let out a pained moan and gripped the table tight, Billy had not been this hard with her before and she had clearly misjudged his strength. She felt herself nearing her climax as he pounded in and out of her harder, then faster. He called out when he exploded inside of her and she yelled out his name as her orgasm hit, they both remained bent over the kitchen table panting for a moment then Billy pulled himself out of her. 'If this is how you behave after dinner with the lovely Miss Emory, I'm going to have to let you out with her more often' Selena panted and reached for a tissue to clean herself up.

Billy shook his head at his actions, this was out of character for him and he did not approve of using a woman to vent his frustrations. 'Come on, let's go back to bed' he said to Selena and chose to sleep off his disappointment with himself.

* * *

Gail had been tossing and turning all night after her dinner with Billy. She had met up with Doctor Charlton an hour before she was due to go to dinner with her friend and he had told her they needed to act quickly if they wanted their horse to win the race over Lucas's, as it would not take Lucas long to find a replacement and convince the group to back him. She was not so naive to trust Larry's motives for going out of his way to defy Lucas, so she had done her research on the man to make sure there was nothing untoward in his past. When she could find nothing questionable, she started to believe the man was just bored and wanted to ruffle some feathers as there was no way he actually cared about the Juniper patients.

Gail did not condone referring to her friend as a horse and playing him like this was disrespectful; however, she had to be ruthless all her life to succeed and this was no different, therefore, she had used his affections for her to convince him around to her way of thinking. Although she knew Billy could see through some of what she had said and would no doubt be contemplating what to do, she had no doubt that she had him wrapped around her finger and he would inevitably fall in line. She was not impressed with herself and the way she using her friend; however, this position was much better than the one he held at Trinity General and nothing bad could come out of this for him.

She was pulled away from her thoughts by the faint smell of burning and she decided to get up to investigate the origin, when she opened her bedroom door the odour became stronger and she heard cursing come from the kitchen. She peeked around the door and stood smiling with her arms crossed as Matt tried to waft the smoke from a burnt pan out of her kitchen window.

Merlyn was sat at the table calmly with her back to the door watching Matt intently, neither her or Matt had noticed Gail's presence and just continued on with their conversation. 'I told you Gail never walks away from her pancakes when they're in the pan...are you sure you don't want me to help?' she said resting her elbow on the table and her chin on the palm of her hand.

Matt cursed himself for not listening to the girl, he had been too proud to pay attention to a child and had thought it would be easy enough making pancakes for them all. 'It's fine M, this will all be cleaned up in a second and I'll start afresh'

'I dunno whether you should do that...' Merlyn laughed, '...do you even know how to cook?'

Matt put his hands on the counter and sighed, he had wanted to surprise Gail by cooking breakfast as a thank you for helping him and letting him stay here. He had watched Miss Holt cook on a number of occasions and had thought it would be easy enough; however, if he was honest the only thing he ever did himself was make a bowl of cereal, he could not even make toast without burning it.

'Well it's the thought that counts' Gail said entering the kitchen fully and walking over to the sink curiously, when she peered into it she saw two burnt pans and burnt toast on the counter.

'Busted' Merlyn said from her seated position and took a sip of pure orange juice from the glass in front of her.

Matt shook his head and threw the kitchen towel he was using to get rid of the smoke down on the counter. 'What...you don't like your breakfast thoroughly cooked?' he asked sarcastically.

'Well you know I'm not really a fan of chargrilled toast or black seasoning on my pancakes...but I'll give you an A+ for effort' Gail laughed.

Matt could not help but laugh along with his friend at this disaster, the kitchen was in a state. 'I'll clean all this up' he promised.

Gail stroked his arm reassuringly, 'Don't worry about it...we'll sort it' she said sitting down at the table and taking a sip of Merlyn's juice.

Merlyn looked at Gail concerned, she looked very tired and she could see the dark circles under her eyes. 'Couldn't you sleep?' she asked, knowing from her ghostly visits to her cousin the previous year that she seemed to be plagued by bad dreams.

Gail shrugged, 'I've got a few things on my mind but nothing anyone needs to be concerned about. We need to figure out a more permanent living arrangement for you' she said to Matt while stretching and yawning.

Matt made Gail a fresh glass of juice and stroked her back affectionately when he handed it to her, he was worried about the amount of responsibility that she had taken on and he wanted to be able to help her. 'Don't worry about me Gail, we'll figure it out sooner or later...you need to get some proper rest, you look exhausted'

Gail laughed, 'Me rest? yeah right...there's no time for that, I have too much to do. Besides, where could I possibly rest? I have a house full of people now'

Merlyn looked down at her hands, she was partly to blame for that. She knew her cousin was used to being alone and she needed that alone time to unwind; however, Gail could not have any time alone in her home with the amount of people that were staying here. 'Maybe I should go' she suggested, at least when it was just Caleb here Gail had a bit of time to herself.

Gail stood up and reached for Rocky who was jumping up at her, she missed her dog but she was happy he had company when she was not here. 'Don't start, I haven't got the patience for it today. No-one is going anywhere anytime soon, you all just need to stop worrying about me and be concerned with your own business. If you want to help, find me solutions that don't make it appear like I'm throwing you all out on the street'

'Who are you throwing out on the street?...' Caleb asked yawning as he entered the kitchen, '...and whats that smell?'

Gail shook her head and smiled, he looked so innocent when he had just woken up and sometimes her heart melted when she saw him. The presence within her caused a painful jolt to surge through her brain, which caused her to hold her head in a moment of agony. The pain quickly subsided and she returned her attention to her cousin. 'It appears that was our breakfast' she said as he came close for a hug.

'Are we eatin' it?' he asked looking up at her as his arms were still around her waist.

Gail laughed, 'God no! It's Saturday and I can't be bothered cooking after this disaster so we're gonna head out to the diner you like for some breakfast'

Caleb smiled, 'Really? Yes! Come on M let's get ready, you're gonna love this place'

Merlyn following Caleb smiling, then Matt stood up from the table and approached his friend. 'You don't think it's too soon for me to be out and about with all of you? I can imagine I'm the talk of the town at the moment'

Gail patted Matt on the shoulder reassuringly, 'Doctor Monroe's heart attack and who his replacement will be is still the talk of the town...even if it wasn't that wouldn't stop us going out. When do I ever let idle gossip stop me from doing anything?'

Matt laughed, 'Well considering who your current partner is I'd say never'

Gail shot him a warning glance and linked her arm around his as they walked out of the kitchen. 'Don't start...now hurry up and get ready, I'm starving'

* * *

Lucas sat on the bonnet of his car outside the hospital reading the Trinity Guardian, he was intrigued as to what Gail would be reporting on about Juniper; however, it appeared she had delayed publishing her article again. He had missed her last night, all the dependants she had to take care of were starting to get in the way of their relationship and he needed to find a way to get them back on track. Their sexual encounters were still as frequent as usual but they appeared to be at a stand still with any other aspect of their relationship which he was not happy about, especially when they had been making great progress previously. He decided he would come back to this dilemma once he had dealt with the current thorn in his side.

Lucas stood up from his seated position and threw down the paper on the bonnet when his desired target approached. 'Billy-boy, fancy coming across you here' he said sarcastically.

Billy sighed when he saw Lucas and walked towards the man, he should ignore him and continue on in way as he was late for his shift as it was; however, he was not feeling his usual self and was curious about the mans visit. 'What do you want Buck? I could do without this today'

Lucas laughed, 'I take it my loves proposal wasn't quite what you were expecting last night?'

'I don't want to get into this with you' Billy said and started to walk up the steps to the hospital.

'Would you rather get into it with Gail? I'm sure she's got another pretty little tight dress picked out ready to dispel your doubts' Lucas said mockingly.

Billy stopped in his tracks, clearly Lucas had been aware of their dinner last night and Billy resented this mans insinuation that he was being controlled by his friend.

'Oh am I wrong Billy-boy? Did she not get you to agree to consider the Juniper position whilst wearing a tight little number last night?' Lucas said reading his mind.

'What do you want from me Lucas?' Billy asked turning towards him, he was tired and did not have the patience for this right now.

'It appears I'm the only one who doesn't want anything from you Doc, at least for now. Why don't you skip your shift today and I'll do the same, we can talk this out man to man without the intoxicatin' influence of my love'

Billy shook his head, 'and I suppose if I miss my shift it'll show me to be unreliable, which would take me out of the running for the Juniper position?'

Lucas laughed, 'Your lack of trust in me is misplaced friend. I'll march up there right now and smooth this over with your boss if you want, no-one will question me and this won't go down bad for you'

Billy walked back down towards Lucas and took his mobile phone out of his pocket. 'A telephone call would suffice' he said handing him the phone.

Lucas smiled, 'I guess it's settled then' he said taking the phone and dialling the hospitals main desk.

* * *

Gail had dropped Caleb, Matt and M off at the pier after breakfast, she gave M a mobile phone to call her when they needed picking and made her excuses to get away from the group. Gail needed time alone to think and work so she had opted for a quiet, secluded area under a tree in Lucas's front garden to set up her laptop. It was cold out in the open today; however, Gideon had turned up and was rested on the top of her legs, which provided some warmth while she attempted to continue on with her article.

Even though she had no disturbances here as Lucas was in work, she was finding it hard to concentrate on her story so she closed her laptop and rested her back on the tree while she stroked Gideon. It had been over a week since she had been in this garden and being here made her feel at ease. Gideon moved his head closer to her so it rested just below her stomach and she smiled, 'I guess you feel at ease here too' she said and leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

Gail inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a moment as she rested her head on the tree, then looked up at the leaves above her. She felt like she was losing herself with all her activities of late and needed to get back down to basics; however, with all her responsibilities and dependents, she did not know where to begin. The presence within her stirred and Gail sat up, making Gideon regard her curiously. Gail had not felt any darkness or forgetfulness over the past week and was beginning to think she had imagined the presence within her, but now she doubted that as she felt a strong urge to get up and go to the back of Lucas's house.

Gail was reluctant to move, she may not understand the forces at play here but she was not stupid and she would not blindly follow some invisible feeling when Lucas had warned her to stay off that part of his property. Gail was curious about the presence within her; however, she had not had a spare minute recently to continue her research and she did not want to fully trust her instincts until she could gain a better understanding as to what was happening to her.

The presence within her grew restless and the name Rosemary floated through her brain. Gail stood up and looked towards the side of the garden which led to the back, that gravestone had plagued her dreams all week and she felt drawn to it. She started to walk forward and Gideon began to growl, she looked at her guardian and smiled. 'It appears you're worried about me just like everyone else' she said leaning down to stroke him, then continued walking towards the back of the house.

When she turned the corner, she saw the familiar large fountain and looked past it to the clearing at the end of the garden. Her common sense was calling for her to stop this madness and return to her story; however, her intrigue was getting the better of her so she walked slowly towards the fountain and the path that was behind it. Just as she was about to pass the fountain her mobile phone rang and she cursed out loud. 'What?' she said angrily without paying attention to who was calling.

'Hey Gail it's M...are you OK?' came a concerned voice on the other end of the phone.

Gail continued to be fixated by the far end of the garden and considered hanging up the phone, then she heard Caleb's voice in the background and came to her senses. 'I'm fine, I just expected you guys to be longer. Are you ready to be picked up?'

'We are, we can meet you where you left us' M said, still with a hint of concern in her voice.

'I'll be there in 20 minutes' Gail said and hung up the phone. She lingered for a moment longer where she stood then shook her head, walked back to the front of the garden to get her laptop and went to pick up her dependents.

* * *

Lucas sat casually with a cup of black coffee on a bench outside the Sheriff's Station, saying pleasantries to his residents as they passed by. He had been listening to Billy whine over the decision he had to make for over an hour and the constant interruptions from his townspeople did not speed up things.

'Afternoon Sheriff'

'Afternoon Bertie, how's the car?' Lucas said forcing an interested tone to his voice.

'She's a beauty and is runnin' just fine Sheriff, thanks for your help with that' the man said as he continued walking.

'It was no bother, say Hey to Lauren for me' Lucas called after him then turned his attention back to Billy.

Billy shook his head watching the man as he walked away. 'Is this what it's always like with you?'

Lucas shrugged and took a sip of his coffee, 'My people like to talk and I talk back'

Billy laughed, 'I don't think I could handle the constant small talk'

Lucas inhaled deeply and stretched out on the bench. 'Recognition comes with any high position in this town, you'll have to learn to get used to it if you decide to take what's been offered to you'

Billy considered that for a moment and then sighed, he had been trying to figure out what Lucas hoped to accomplish here but all the man had done was listen to his ramblings on the matter. 'What does this offer actually entail?'

Lucas smiled, this is the type of question Billy-boy needed to be asking. 'I can't imagine it's a difficult position, you'd be overseeing patients treatments, filing reports, making sure the staff are working to whatever standard you require. Sort of like my job, but with a medical aspect rather than dealing with outright criminals I suppose'

Billy nodded, it did not sound hard and the hours would be better than his current shifts; however, he was not sure he was ready to just sit back and work behind a desk.

'You think that's what I do Doc?...' Lucas asked reading his mind, '...a job is what you make it and you're in a good position to negotiate at this present time'

Billy looked at Lucas suspiciously, the man was being far too helpful. When he had tried to obtain details from Gail at their dinner she had managed to distract him and change the subject, it appeared Lucas was the only one giving him a seemingly honest take on the whole thing which was concerning.

'That's the problem with woman Doc, it's in their nature to manipulate...they can do it without even trying. Gail may not outwardly appear to be controlling, but she knows how to get what she wants and I get the feeling she had you wrapped around her finger last night due to that little tight number she had on' Lucas said smugly. He was initially mad when he witnessed how she was behaving with the man next to him, he had seen how close she got with him last night and that tight little navy blue dress was supposed to be reserved for him not this man; however, now he had slept on it, he was intrigued as to why she was getting so involved in this matter.

Billy watched Lucas, he was clearly up to something but so was Gail and he felt like he was in the middle of it all. 'What are your stakes in this? Why are you trying to help me?' he asked, growing tired of the games that were getting played.

Lucas laughed and patted Billy on the shoulder. 'Relax Billy-boy, my stake here has nothin' to do with you. You're more than capable of takin' over this position...I might've preferred someone a little more agreeable personally, but the truth of the matter is I couldn't care less what you decide to do'

'I appreciate your honesty...' Billy said taking a sip out of his cappuccino, '...but you haven't fully answered my question. What do you care about Lucas?'

Lucas let out a long sigh and shook his head, he could not believe he was talking honestly to this man who had irritated him since he arrived in Trinity; however, it was a welcome change talking to a man who was not afraid to question him, as apposed to someone like Ben who was too afraid to hear the answer. 'What I care about is why Gail has such a high stake in this Doc...there was no need for her to get involved, I would've had this handled with Doc Charlton by now but she got to him before me and pushed you to the forefront. I wonder why she did that, don't you?'

Billy thought about this for a moment, it had been bothering him why Gail would want to get involved in something like this and why she would drag him into it too. He did not trust Lucas; however, the man appeared to be as curious as he was about the situation and why Gail would be so bothered by it. 'Let say for arguments sake that I do wonder why, so what?...She wouldn't do anything to screw me over and I can't imagine her getting anything from this'

Lucas shrugged, 'Maybe you're right and maybe this is all innocent...she may just have your best interest at heart, you are good friends after all. If I was you though I'd have a long hard think about what you can get from this and remember what I said about woman' he said standing up and stretching.

'Why should listen to anything you have to say?' Billy asked as he got up from the bench.

'You're growin' on me Billy-boy...I'd hate to see you get tangled up in something that you can't handle, especially when it's a web I'm not weavin'' Lucas laughed and starting walking towards the Sheriff's Station.

* * *

Lucas sat on his porch contemplating to occurrences of the day, drinking a glass of red wine. He had not learned much from Billy about what his love was up to; however, he had got the man thinking his way, which was a victory in itself. Whether Billy-boy took the position or not did not make much odds to Lucas, it just meant the Doc would be in a higher position to challenge him and Lucas always found it fun when certain people bit back.

'Well you do like your biting' Gail said suggestively as she walked up the porch steps, approached him and took the glass of wine out of his hand.

Lucas smiled, 'Probably just as much as you like your clawing I suspect' he said seductively and watched as she took a large sip of his wine.

Gail savoured the sensation of the cold liquid travelling down her throat and licked her lips teasingly, 'This'll have to be a conversation for another day, I can't stay long' she said disappointingly.

Lucas took a sip of the wine then placed the cup down as he got up and approached her. He placed his hands tenderly on her hips then pulled her to him, smiling at her deep intake breath at their closeness. 'You think I'm gonna let you get off that easy when I've not seen you all day?'

Gail ran her hands up his chest and stroked his face tenderly, 'Play your cards right and you might see more of me than usual tomorrow' she said as she pulled him to her for a gentle kiss.

Lucas relished in the taste of her tongue in his mouth and was not ready to let her go just yet, so he pulled her closer and began kissing her more forcefully. When she did not pull away, he let his hands trail down to her behind and squeezed playfully. 'I'm not concerned about tomorrow Darlin', all I care about is right now' he whispered.

Gail smiled and nipped at his lips teasingly. 'Alright Sheriff...in that case we'll save the subject of Caleb wanting to stay over for another time and just focus on our urges' she said sarcastically and wrapped her arms around his waste.

Lucas pulled away from her slightly and gave her a suspicious look, 'What do you mean?'

Gail shrugged, 'Well I was here to discuss your son and I staying over tomorrow night; however, if you want to make this visit all about you and me, I'll happily push back the subject of Caleb to give him time to come to his senses'

Lucas smiled at Gail's acknowledgement of Caleb's parentage and the fact that the boy had finally chosen to stay with him of his own free will. He had been preoccupied with other things due to the death of Doctor Monroe and the release of Harvard, so the boy had been given some space. It appeared the boy had used that time to figure out what he wanted and Lucas would not allow him or Gail time to change their minds. 'As much as I want to rip your clothes off and take you on the floor right now Darlin', family comes first...' he said smugly, '...What did Caleb say?'

Gail shook her head with how complacent Lucas was, she had not wanted to do this; however, Caleb had made his choice and she would not stand in the way of that. She could not change the fact that Lucas was her cousins father no more than she could deny her own attraction to the man, she would have to handle the matter carefully though to ensure Caleb did not get emotionally hurt and she secretly hoped Lucas would do something to give her reason to deny her cousins request. 'He hasn't said much, just that he wants to stay over' she shrugged.

Lucas took her hand as he walked back to the porch chair, then sat down and pulled her to him so she was straddling him. 'Just me and the boy?' he asked, knowing full well that she would not be happy with Caleb's request so he chose to keep his questions short.

'And me' she sighed, she hated the thought of knowing Lucas was getting what he wanted. He had previously told her it was inevitable that they would end up with him here, but she was not ready to roll over and let that happen.

Lucas could not hide his smile, everything appeared to be falling in place nicely. 'How do you feel about that?' he asked stroking her back.

Gail laughed indignantly, 'You don't wanna know...besides, this isn't about me or you, it's about him'

Lucas nodded respectfully, he did not want to push his luck with this and needed to tread carefully to ensure this went without incident as she would be hoping for one wrong move to enable her to refuse his boys request. 'Yes it is and I appreciate you taking that into consideration...how do you want to do this?' he asked, allowing her some control over what was happening and stroking her legs which were fixed tightly around him.

Gail let out a long slow breath, his relentless stroking was starting to distract her and her urges were trying to come to the surface. She focused hard to push her desire for him down and considered the best way forward with Caleb. 'I wanna get this over with, so providing I can figure something out with Matt and M we can stay tomorrow'

'Harvard would be fine with M at your place Darlin', so that's settled'

Gail laughed, 'You've tried to convince me that Matt is dangerous more times than I can remember and you released him on a promise that I would make sure he's supervised at all times, you think I'm just going to leave him overnight with a teenage girl alone in my house? Not a chance, I'm not giving you any excuse to turn that back on me...how about M staying with us here?'

Lucas shook his head and laughed, 'Nope, that girl ain't stayin' in my house...keep thinkin' Darlin''

Gail looked at Lucas suspiciously, she suspected there was a history with M; however, neither one of them would open up about it.

'Strike that from your mind Gail and let's get back to the problem at hand' Lucas said sternly, reading her mind.

Gail gave herself a mental shake, he was right and M was a subject for a different time. She was beginning to get bored with this situation and started to run her hands down Lucas' chest subconsciously, when she began to unbutton his shirt he took hold of her hands gently and brought them to his mouth.

'As much as it's killing being this reserved Darlin', you've made me choose between having you or my son' he said tenderly kissing and nipping at her hands.

Gail shook her head and rolled her eyes, she had set the boundaries at the beginning of this conversation so she could not be mad at him for sticking to them. 'Fine...I better go, I'll figure this out on my own' she said pushing herself off him and turning away to leave.

Lucas stood up and grabbed her arm, then pulled her towards him and kissed her forcefully. When she broke free of his embrace he ran his thumb over her soft lips and took a deep intake of breath when she took his thumb in her mouth then sucked it gently whilst staring seductively into his eyes. 'You're making this hard for me Darlin''

Gail smiled and released his thumb, 'I'm glad somethings hard Sheriff' she said teasingly, then stroked his cheek gently and headed back towards her car.

Lucas watched her leave then returned to his seated position on the porch and picked up his glass of red wine. He would have to consider what he needed to do to make this little sleep over memorable for his boy, to ensure he chose to make it a regular thing.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Gail walked around the cold dark place slowly, trying to establish her current location. She surveyed her surroundings and all she could make out in the thick grey fog was tall dark trees, there was no roads or houses to be found. A shadow of threat fell over her mind and she suddenly felt the urge to run, she appeared to stranded in some forest wearing nothing but her short pyjamas and she could feel the damp mud beneath her bare feet as she ran.

Gail stopped for a moment recognising the sound of water and ran towards it, when she spotted a large gap between two trees she headed towards it and came out at a deserted spot by the Trinity River. She glanced behind to confirm whatever she believed was chasing her had disappeared and let out a sigh of relief when she sensed she was no longer being followed.

She established that it was early dawn, as now that she had exited the forest she was witnessing the first light of the day. This was one of her favourite parts of the day and she allowed herself a moment to take in the beauty of her surroundings, then froze when she saw a figure knelt down at the waters edge. Gail crossed her arms around her chest in an attempt to provide herself with some warmth, then slowly approached the figure. 'Hello?' she called out, but the figure did not acknowledge her.

Gail felt as though something was wrong and wanted to flee; however, a part deep down within her made her stand her ground and she continued to approach the figure which was slumped over the water. She stopped in her tracks when she was within a few feet of the water then the figure slowly stood up and turned towards her.

Gail shook her head at what she was witnessing, the figure had long brown hair pale skin and blood red lips. She could not explain it but the thing in front of her looked like her twin; however, Gail sensed a darkness within it and it did not feel human. 'That's no way to think about the one who has protected you all your life' it said and smiled.

Gail took a step back, she had seen this thing before when she had been pregnant and had attempted to leave Trinity. She could not explain what was happening but knew this was not her and the evil within the things eyes was clear for her to see.

'Don't be like that Gail, I've been with you for a long time and if you open your mind you'll realise that I don't want to hurt you'

Gail held her hands up in a warding off gesture and took another step back, 'What are you?' she whispered.

Her twin smiled devilishly, 'I'm you'

'No...' Gail said slowly shaking her head and moving backwards, '...you're something else. What do you want?'

Her twin laughed, 'Nothing bad...I just want to help you. Your in over your head here, you've allowed yourself to be sucked into other people's problems and you're drowning. You never used to care about other people's mundane issues and you certainly didn't suffer fools with poor judgement...what I want is for you to step aside willingly, at least for a few hours and let me fix things for you'

Gail forced a laugh to indicate she did not believe the accusations of the thing before her; however, deep down she knew it was not wrong and at times she did feel like she was under water gasping for air. Although she should be scared by this doppelganger she was not and there was a sense of familiarity that surrounded it. 'What should I call you?' Gail asked.

Her twin smiled, she had piqued her interest and she had been with Gail long enough to know that this was a good sign. 'What can you call me? that's a good question...I think we'll go with Rosie, I like Uncle Abe's pet name for you'

Gail watched the thing in front of her, who she would now be referring to as Rosie. She sensed evil and malice all around it but strangely it did not appear to be directed at her. 'OK Rosie...you expect me to step aside, let's just pretend that I know what that means for a moment and discuss why you want this?'

Rosie began to walk back towards the water, the morning sun in the sky had pushed away all the darkness around them and revealed their location. 'We don't have time for why, I'm not the only one here Gail so I'd hurry up and make a decision if I was you'

Gail felt a sudden shadow of threat fall upon her, she looked around and thought she spotted a dark figure in the clearing; however, she pushed the image away putting it down to her imagination. She surveyed her surroundings now that it was light and although this appeared to be a part of the river that she had never visited, she was experiencing a strong sense of deja vu.

When her eyes wandered back towards the clearing, she noticed the dark figure appeared to be a few steps closer and she took a cautious step back towards the water. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and spun around by Rosie, Gail tried to struggle free when she saw the things eyes turn a deep yellow; however, the grip was strong. Rosie shook her with a sense of urgency and slapped her face hard as the dark figure approached slowly. 'Wake up!' Rosie screamed and Gail jumped up abruptly in her bed covered in sweat.

Gail took a deep breath when she realised she was safe in her bedroom then threw the covers off her ready to get up, she gasped in horror when she saw her muddy bare feet and foliage on her bed sheets indicating what she just experienced may not have been a dream.

* * *

Caleb sat with Matt on the front porch swing of Gail's house drinking some hot chocolate, he had allowed Merlyn to take Rocky for a walk on her own as he knew Gail had gone to talk to Lucas last night about him staying overnight and he was desperate to hear the outcome. He had been disappointed that Gail was not up yet but had not wanted to disturb her so he had made him and Matt some hot chocolate, then headed for the front porch.

'So, how's school' Matt asked, sensing Caleb seemed to be preoccupied.

Caleb shrugged, he was happy Doctor Matt was back but the whole situation was very strange and he had not yet fully come to terms with what was happening. 'Boring...Are stayin' here forever?'

Matt laughed, this little set up would be nice; however, he was not that lucky and he did not deserve this after the mistakes he had made in life.

'Forever is a long time son...' Lucas interjected before Matt could answer, '...Harvard here should just be thankful that I allowed him to be free'

Matt inhaled deeply and tried to push down his irritation. He had been warned by Gail to under no circumstances give Lucas a reason to doubt his decision to release him, at least not until he had been fully integrated back into the community. 'I am thankful to the person who arranged this Sheriff' he said, indicating his thanks were not aimed at Lucas.

Caleb could sense the tension rising as Lucas walked up the porch steps, so he stood up and met Lucas before he reached Matt. 'What are you doin' here Lucas?'

Lucas smiled at his son, it was clear he was trying to prevent any altercations and Lucas decided he would be on his best behaviour around his son. 'I was just lookin' for that ol' cousin of yours to discuss our plans for tonight'

Matt stood up and approached them both. 'She's not up yet...what's happening tonight?' he asked curiously.

Lucas's smile turned devilish and he regarded Matt smugly. 'Well that's between me, Gail and the boy...rest assured though, it has nothin' to do with you'

Matt glanced at Caleb who appeared to be excited then back at Lucas. 'Maybe they already have plans' he said, trying to provide an excuse for Gail which would not look bad to Caleb.

Lucas laughed, 'They do Harvard..with me. Everythin' has already been discussed with the lovely Miss Emory, I just need to check on a few things...you wanna go wake her up for me son' he said, wanting to be alone with Matt so he could torment him.

'There's no need' Gail said appearing at the door wearing a short tight maroon dress, which showed off her curves and pair of flat black ballerina pumps.

Lucas looked Gail up and down suspiciously, apart from the shoes this outfit was more characteristic of Selena in the Autumn months not Gail. He noticed there was something off about her when she approached Matt and disregarded Caleb. 'You look pretty today Darlin', aren't you cold in that?'

Gail smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Matt's shoulder, to indicate for him to stand down. 'Cold? I wasn't aware that you cared so much about my well being Sheriff'

Lucas placed a protective hand on Caleb's shoulder and instinctively pulled him closer to him, 'I care about all the residents in my town Darlin'...you goin' somewhere today?' he asked curiously, still not able to determine what was different about his love.

'Yes...' Gail said sweetly linking Matt's arm affectionately and walking down the porch steps with him, knowing it would irritate Lucas. '...Assuming you're alright to fend for yourself with M for a few hours, I'll be back for you later' she called back to Caleb as she walked towards her car with Matt.

Caleb watched her leave, then turned towards Lucas. 'What was that about?'

Lucas shook his head and watched his love get into her car then drive away, 'I don't know son...you wanna stay with me today?'

'Nah, I best not...who would look after Merly?'

Lucas smiled, 'That girl is not your responsibility son...I'll hang around for her to return and we'll go for breakfast, unless you fancy cookin' while your cousin is out?'

Caleb laughed, 'Can you really see me doin' that?' he asked sarcastically and headed inside with Lucas.

* * *

Doctor Larry Charlton was walking his dog in the park close to his home, when he spotted Gail Emory playing with a black dog under a tree. He smiled at the attractive woman, who was wearing a short red dress which did not appear to be appropriate for this weather or the activity she was doing, and decided to approach her. 'Mornin' Miss Emory'

Gail had thought long and hard in her room this morning about her dream, then decided to take a step back and allow Rosie control for a few hours out of curiosity. Rosie had promised she would not hide anything from her providing she gave her at least 3 hours on uninterrupted control, which Gail had agreed to and now she was fully aware of what her dark half was doing.

'Morning Doctor Charlton, fancy running into you here' Rosie said sweetly and continued stroking Gideon.

Larry ignored the growls of his own dog and appeared to be mesmerised by the woman before him. 'Oh I live just over there...' he pointed towards his house, '...I wasn't aware you had a pet Gail, what's brought you to my neck of the woods?'

Rosie forced a warm smile, this tedious conversation was boring her already. 'I actually have two dogs, but they don't really get on so my cousin is out walking one while I'm here with my Gideon' she said ruffling the dogs fir playfully.

Larry smiled, he was a dog lover himself and knew how it could be when they all demanded your attention. His train of thought was lost when he spotted her blood red mustang with Matt Crower sat in the front, appearing to be playing with the radio. 'Is that old Doctor Crower? I didn't think he'd be showing his face in public so soon after what he did'

Rosie glanced at Matt and back towards Larry, this was all playing out exactly as she had expected. 'Matt's got nothing to hide, he only performed that terrible act after he was brainwashed by a crazy woman' she said and continued to play with Gideon.

Larry glanced at Gail curiously, 'What do you mean dear?'

Rosie smiled, this was too easy. 'OK I'll tell you, but you have to keep it to yourself. Matt was treating some crazy woman who had claimed to be Lucas Buck's mother, the woman told him all sorts of untrue stories and convinced him that our Sheriff was dangerous. When the woman committed suicide Matt had a case of temporary insanity and tried to take a shot at the Sheriff, thinking he was protecting all the residents of this town. It's a shame really, Matt would never have wanted to hurt Lucas...it was convenient timing to get him out of the way if you ask me'

Larry was gobsmacked at what he had just heard, he had respected Matt Crower and he was the best Doctor he had previously. If what Gail was saying was true, it appeared the man was set up and Larry would not put that past Lucas. 'It is a shame, the man had such a bright future ahead of him'

Rosie nodded, 'He still does...he's been helping me with my Juniper article and all his medical expertise are still present. It is such a waste when the hospital is going to lose one of it's most competent Doctors when Billy takes the position at Juniper...Oh well, what can you do?' she said suggestively and waved goodbye to Larry as she returned to her car, knowing he would ponder over what she had said.

* * *

Billy paced Selena's kitchen looking for more alcohol, he did not usually drink so early in the day; however, he was in a foul mood and wanted something to help him relax.

'And you think more alcohol is going to do that?' Rosie asked as she entered the house without invitation. She had dropped Matt off at the Boarding House with Loris Holt, the woman had regarded her suspiciously; however, she took no notice and continued on the her second stop of the day.

'What are you doing here Gail?' Billy asked confused. Luckily Selena had gone out to the grocery store otherwise there would most likely be a confrontation.

Rosie ran her hand slowly over Selena's dining room table and surveyed the room. It was impressive how Selena had made such a small place so distinctive, you just had to love the womans unique style. 'Answering a question with a question, how indirect of you...I'm here to see how you're doing. You're clearly not yourself, seen as you've been listening to Lucas and all. Has my lover turned you over to his side yet?' she asked tauntingly.

Billy narrowed his eyes at his friend, there was something different about her and not just the unusually sexy way she held herself on this Sunday morning. 'I've no intention of going over to Lucas Buck's side Gail'

Rosie laughed, 'Is that so? Then why are you paying attention to his accusations about me and drinking yourself into the sorry state that you're in now?'

Billy glanced down at himself in his old white vest and boxer shorts, he must look a mess. If he was honest he had been considering what Gail had to gain with him taking the Juniper position and had gotten himself angry, which resulted in him taking Selena harder than he had intended again last night and attempting to drink his guilt away.

'Don't worry about that friend, Selena's had it worse and I can guarantee you she likes it' Rosie smiled knowingly then walked towards him closing the distance between them, 'Rather than get yourself in this state, just ask me and I'll tell you whatever you want to know'

Billy inhaled deeply with how close her body was to his and caught a whiff of her scent, she smelt so sweet and her aroma was distracting. He was partly drunk but he attempted to regain control of himself so he could talk this through. 'OK, why do you want me to take over Juniper?'

Rosie allowed Gail to take control for a moment, knowing herself would quickly get irritated at being questioned. 'Because it'll be good for you and you're bored of your current position whether you realise it or not, next question' Gail said, playing along with her dark half.

Billy relaxed a little, sensing his friend was acting more herself. 'Why didn't you talk to me first before nominating me?'

Gail sighed, 'Because you wouldn't have considered this and you would've just plodded along until you became so unhappy that you would sabotage your relationships just to get away'

Billy nodded, he had done that before and he was amazed Gail appeared to know him so well. 'Good point...what do you have to gain with this and why are you going out of your way to go against Lucas?' he asked, they were the questions that were bothering him the most.

Rosie dragged Gail back to the safe room she was keeping her in and took full control again. She moved a step closer so their bodies were touching and stroked his cheek tenderly. 'I have nothing to gain, I just want to keep you around as long as I can...I can't help being fond of you' she whispered and stared deeply into his eyes.

Billy subconsciously moved his hands to her hips and pulled her dress up slightly so he could run his fingers over her smooth legs. This was not like Gail, but he felt drawn to her all of a sudden and could not resist touching her even though he knew it was wrong. 'What about Lucas?'

Rosie ran her hands down his chest and ignored Gail's screams telling her to stop. 'What about Lucas? I'm not scared of him are you?' she asked and licked her lips seductively.

Billy shook his head obediently and started to lean down for a kiss.

'You should be' came Merlyn's stern voice from behind them. She had spotted Gail's car when she was out walking with Caleb after breakfast and had decided to see what she was doing at Selena's place. Luckily she had made Caleb wait by the car so he had not witnessed this unexpected display by their cousin.

Rosie sighed and shook her head, then pushed Billy away. 'Of course you'd spoil my fun' she said turning towards Merlyn.

Merlyn took a step forward when she realised that was not her cousin and focused on Billy. 'It's lucky I wasn't your girlfriend or Lucas Buck' she said disapprovingly and shook her head when Billy just looked at his hands.

Rosie turned towards Billy, 'Don't listen to her...you've done nothing wrong. Now pick yourself up and prepare for bettering your position in this town. You can tell Doctor Charlton tomorrow what you've decided' she said smiling sweetly at Billy, then she turned towards Merlyn and dragged her out of the house by her arm. 'Listen to me little girl, if you ever get in my way again when I'm trying to help your cousin I won't be held responsible for the consequences'

'Enough!' Gail snapped and forced Rosie back. She had allowed this to go on long enough and she could not take a back seat any longer.

'Gail, is that you?' Merlyn asked concerned.

Gail sighed and then smiled. 'Who else would it be...come on, I need to figure out what to do with you tonight' she said and headed towards her car.

* * *

Merlyn sat with Matt in the Boarding House kitchen, eating a large bowl of stew that Miss Holt had made for them. Miss Holt had recognised her from when she had been here previously as Hally and did not question her too much, she appreciated this as she was not in the best of moods knowing where Caleb and Gail had gone.

'So, Gail didn't tell you what she was doing tonight that prompted her to get rid of us?' Matt asked suspiciously, it was obvious this girl knew more than she was letting on.

Merlyn shrugged, Matt had not been happy to be discarded like this and she did not have the heart to tell him why. 'Not really, just that she had plans...it doesn't matter anyhow, she's with Caleb and they're spendin' time together. They both need that'

Matt shook his head, 'What they don't need is to be around Lucas Buck...that man is poison and needs to be stopped'

'Be careful Matt, it's that type of thinkin' that got you locked up in the first place' Loris said as she returned to the kitchen to check on her pie. 'Lucas may be poison but I'd hope a city Reporter would have more sense than to be taken in by his lies'

Matt forced a laugh, 'I'm afraid she doesn't appear to have as much sense as she used to. She's let the devil cloud her judgement and I don't know if there's any coming back from that'

Merlyn stood up defensively, Gail was not here to defend herself and she would not have anyone in her family talked about in such a manner. 'She also let you cloud her judgement which assisted in the hold he has on her now...she's not stupid and she's doin' a pretty good job of controlling him, so back off' she snapped and left the kitchen to go sit on the porch.

Loris watched the young girl leave the room then turned towards Matt concerned. 'Is there somethin' going on with Gail and Lucas Buck?'

Matt shook his head in exasperation, Gail had clearly been keeping her relationship with the devil secret and it appeared the circles Loris ran in were none the wiser to it. 'Nothing more than usual' Matt lied and continued eating his stew.

* * *

Gail stood over the hot stove, moved a rogue strand of her away from her eye and sighed. Lucas had picked them up after she had reluctantly dropped M off at the Boarding House with Matt and he had bought them some prime steak to have for dinner, which of course meant she would be cooking. Caleb appeared to be excited with the sleepover, which had eased her worry over him being in this house. She had brought Rocky to sleep in the room with Caleb and although Lucas frowned over an animal being in his domain, he had respected her request and Rocky lay obediently in the corner of the kitchen watching her.

The vegetables she was watching had at least another 20 minutes before they would be ready, so rather than ambush Caleb's time with Lucas she decided to have an unsupervised wander through the house while her other half was distracted. Ever since she had been left alone in the kitchen she had felt as though something was pulling at her and she was curious to find out what.

Gail peeked through the door to Lucas's study, she smiled when she saw they were deep in conversation over something and turned around to head for the side door in the kitchen with Rocky following close beside her. She had not been this far into the property as Lucas was careful to monitor her whereabouts and the doors were usually locked. As Gail walked down a long hallway she noticed the doors either side of her were closed; however, there was one at the end of the hall which appeared to be slightly ajar.

Gail glanced over her shoulder to make sure she was not being watched then approached the door slowly, when Rocky began to growl she shushed him and indicated for him to stand guard outside the room while she entered. She opened the door carefully, ignoring the unusual feeling in the pit of her stomach. The room was dark but the moonlight shined through the window and provided some illumination. The room was filled with old pictures and books and it appeared to be another study; however, there were a few trinkets dotted around in addition to a tea pot on a coffee table, which indicated that his was a woman's study and not the current owner of the property's.

This room was intriguing, she ran her fingers over the old bookcase and glanced at the books it held. There were a few books on the Occult and folklore; however, the majority of the books appeared to be to do with witchcraft and necromancy. Gail inhaled deeply and pushed down her uncertainty of being in here, then continued to survey the room.

A glimmer of something caught her eye and she approached the spot where the moonlight had rested on, it shone on an old jewellery box which was full of items. She opened the box then picked out some of the necklaces and bracelets which rested at the top, she did not know what she was looking for; however, when her fingers touched a ring at the bottom of the box, the unusual feeling in the pit of her stomach increased intensity. Gail picked up the ring and turned it over in her fingers, she held it up to the light and looked curiously at the initials R.B which were engraved on the inside.

'You lost Darlin'?' Lucas asked, not impressed at what he had found.

Gail quickly closed her hand protectively over the ring and turned towards Lucas, he appeared very displeased with her current location. 'Rocky ran off down here, I was just making sure he was OK' she lied.

Lucas shook his head distrustfully, 'Well your dog is out here and you're in there Darlin'...care to explain that?'

Gail stared defiantly at Lucas, she would not explain herself to him. He knew curiosity was in her nature, just like she knew lack of morality was in his and she would not be judged when she had accepted him how he was. 'Oh I just tripped and stumbled into this mysterious room Sheriff, clearly I'm very clumsy' she said sarcastically as she walked out of the room and past him.

Lucas laughed, 'You clumsy? Can't you think of a better story than that Miss Emory?'

Gail bent down to stroke Rocky, who was growling at Lucas and discreetly placed the ring in her cardigan pocket, then stood up and turned towards Lucas. 'I don't have to come up with a better story Sheriff, I just need to do this' she said and ran her hand gently over the area of his pants which bound his manhood.

Lucas inhaled deeply and ignored the discomfort as he became hard, he grabbed her by the hips and pulled her roughly against him. 'You wanna do this now?' he asked, feeling his urges rush to the surface.

'Gail?' Caleb called from the kitchen.

'Well isn't that a shame?' she said and pushed off him, 'It looks like this will have to wait until another time Sheriff'

Lucas shook his head and watched as she walked back to the kitchen with Rocky in tow. He turned his attention towards the room she had occupied and glanced inside before closing the door, he smiled when he heard the door lock itself and returned to his house guests.

* * *

Caleb sat on the edge of the couch in his pyjamas, shaking the dice in his hand. After they had all eaten Gail suggested he got changed into his comfortable bed clothes and she did the same, while Lucas set up a board game for them to play. The game was called Yahtzee and Caleb had never played it before, but he was determined to win; therefore, he gave the dice a good throw and watched hoping all five dice would show the same number. When they did not he sat back in a huff.

'With all the concentration and determination you displayed then, I'm surprised you didn't will the numbers out son' Lucas laughed.

Gail smiled, it was nice to see her cousin getting into something typical of his actual age. When Lucas had suggested playing a board game she had rolled her eyes and thought Caleb would be bored; however, he appeared to be enjoying the game and he was showing his competitive side. 'Come on Caleb, you've still got another two rolls...you need to decide what you're going for' she said from her seated position on the floor.

'I'm thinkin'' he snapped, while looking at his score sheet and pondering on whether he should just go for Yahtzee again.

Lucas smiled, the point of the game was to get a Yahtzee and it amused him that Caleb was trying on every turn. He noticed Gail was playing the long game strategically and trying to get each combination of dice on the score sheet, it showed how sensible and cunning she could be. It was good for his son to have someone like her to bring balance in his life, especially when Lucas would happily focus on showing the boy how to break the rules. 'I doubt your cousin is gonna allow us to remain up all night son, so you might wanna think a bit quicker' Lucas teased.

Caleb sighed then picked up all five dice and threw them again. When they hit the side of the board and all the dice displayed the number 6 he jumped up out of his seat. 'Yahtzee!' he yelled jumping up and down excitedly.

'What?' Gail snapped, surprised that he had managed to get it throwing all five dice at once.

Lucas reached up and put a hand on Caleb's shoulder then pulled him back down to the couch. 'Well done son, it appears your persistence paid off...Your turn Miss Emory' he said scooping up the dice and holding them out for her, he smiled when a surge of electricity ran through their hands as they touched.

Gail inhaled deeply when she felt the spark of electricity run through her fingertips then turned her attention back towards the game and threw the dice. Before she had a chance to review her options when the dice stopped, she heard the doorbell ring and looked towards Lucas who appeared as confused as she was over the late evening visitor.

Lucas got up quickly and headed towards the front door, he was not impressed that they had been disturbed. When he opened the door he shook his head at the sight of Merlyn Ann Temple shivering in the cold. 'Considering you no longer have your saintly protection, this move is very brave' he said threateningly.

Gail had given Caleb permission to take her turn while she investigated the cause of their interruption, she stepped to the side of Lucas and was taken aback by the young shivering girl in front of her. 'Jesus M it's freezing out there, did you walk all the way here?' she asked as she grabbed the girl and pulled her inside out of the cold.

Lucas looked up at the ceiling in exasperation, he did not like Merlyn being in his property at all. 'It's alright Darlin', I'll put my boots on and drive her back to the Boarding House where she belongs'

Gail glanced at him disapprovingly over her shoulder, 'The girl is freezing Lucas and she's come here for a reason. You expect me to send her away?'

Lucas shrugged, it seemed perfectly reasonable to him and he did not understand her disapproving tone. Before he could answer Gail interrupted him.

'What is wrong with you?...If she goes now I go and I will not allow Caleb to stay in this house unsupervised'

Lucas forced a smile to hide his irritation. 'I don't take kindly to threats in my own home Darlin''

Gail laughed, of course he would feel the need to insert his dominance. 'And I don't take well to abandoning young girls with no other family, Sheriff...' she said moving closer to him so their bodies were almost touching. 'I'm not threatening you, I'm stating a fact...by all means if I've offended you, throw me out'

Lucas raised his hand and gently cupped Gail's chin, her protectiveness towards Merlyn Ann was beginning to make him think she knew more than she was letting on. 'Do you know who she is?' he said looking into her eye's to gauge whether she would be telling the truth.

'Of course I do, M has been staying with us long enough for me to know her...are you OK?' she asked confused.

Lucas could sense she was telling the truth, her darkness must still be shielding her from their true connection. 'I'd be fine if you weren't forcin' me to choose between my son and allowing this girl in my home Gail' he said, not being able to hide the anger in his voice.

Gail ran her hands up his chest softly, not caring that they were not alone. 'It's not my intention to force you to do anything but I've been in her situation, albeit a little worse, and I can't abandon her...I just can't'

Caleb came out of the living room to see Merlyn in the hallway and Gail stood in front of Lucas. He could sense something was wrong and he was not happy Merlyn was intruding when she was supposed to give him space tonight. 'What's goin' on?' he asked approaching his sister.

'Nothin' son, go take your friend to warm up by the fire before she freezes to death' Lucas said sternly and kept his focus on Gail. When he sensed his son had left them he grabbed Gail and pushed her roughly against the wall. 'You know I couldn't care less about what happens to that girl, or anyone else that you take pity on...You're drowning in everyone else's problems and if you're not careful you'll lose sight of what's truly important'

Gail allowed Lucas to control her and did not struggle out of his grasp, it turned her on when he got like this and she had to bite her lip to resist the urge to kiss him. 'I've not lost sight of anything, my main focus remains on Caleb and everyone else is secondary to his needs, including you. He cares about that girls well-being which means I have to also, it just so happens she's in the same predicament as I was so I can relate...You have the luxury of being shielded from all this but I haven't, so don't start preaching to me about what I've lost sight of when you've managed to avoid all the responsibilities that go with that child'

Lucas raised her hands high above her head, securing her wrists in one hand and then moved his other hand inside her loose vest. 'Oh you are breakin' my heart Darlin'' he said sarcastically as he squeezed her breast tight.

'You don't have a heart' she whispered and closed her eyes at the intense arousal his touch created within in. She allowed him to play with her for a moment longer, then came to her senses. 'This little sleep over isn't about us, it's about Caleb remember?'

Lucas released her wrists and removed his hand from underneath her vest. 'You're right...now what are you gonna do about that girl?'

Gail caressed his cheek and pulled him to her for an amorous kiss, it was taking all her strength to keep her desire in check and she could sense Lucas was also struggling. 'Leave M to me, you can finish the game with Caleb while I sort this out' she said after breaking free of their embrace and walked into the living room.

* * *

Gail sat on the front porch with M drinking a herbal tea, with a blanket wrapped around them both. It was getting late and all she managed to find out was that M had gotten sick of hearing Matt talk about her to Loris so she had started walking. M said she had gotten lost in her thoughts and when she realised she had strayed far from the Boarding House she had noticed Lucas's mansion, then decided to check in on Caleb.

'I didn't mean to get you into trouble, I was just a bit lonely and worried is all' Merlyn said looking down at her hands. It was hard coming to terms with being so normal and powerless, she had not liked being discarded at the Boarding House and had been worried about her family.

Gail watched the girl closely as she played with her hands, she knew what it was like being lonely at her age; however, Gail had no one from the age of 9 when she was officially in the foster care system, therefore, she had managed to come to terms with being on her own and learned how to get by with just her own company at an early age. 'There's no need to worry, Caleb is fine and I would never allow him to go anywhere that would put him in danger. You need to learn to deal with being by yourself, needing to be with someone can be a weakness and believe me when I say you do not want to be that type of woman when you're older'

'You mean a woman like Selena?' Merlyn asked, she had witnessed Selena do some terrible things for the attention of men when she was a ghost and she had not understood why.

Gail nodded, 'If people sense your weakness they will use it against you. Everyone has a weakness but loneliness should not be one of them, it's too predicable and I'd hope you have more sense than to allow that to control your actions'

Merlyn considered her cousins advice, she had crashed her families evening plans and all because she was jealous of being left by herself. That was the truth of it and she felt ashamed for letting such a silly emotion control her and potentially get her cousin in trouble. 'I'm sorry for disturbin' you, I didn't think...what happens now?'

Gail sighed, 'Well I gathered there's some dislike between you and Lucas so didn't think you'd want to stay here'

Merlyn shook her head, this place made her uneasy and she certainly did not want to stay here. She would prefer that Caleb did not stay either; however, she could not control her brother and she trusted Gail would ensure he was well taken care of.

Gail smiled, 'That's what I thought' she said standing up, then pulled Merlyn up and wrapped the blanket fully around her. 'I heard you go way back with a good friend of mine and he's offered to stay with you at my place tonight, you can take Rocky and that way you won't be all alone'

Merlyn heard a gate open and glanced in the direction of the sound, then smiled when she saw Ben. 'I thought you wanted Rocky with you?' she asked.

Gail glanced behind her and smiled when Gideon skulked forward from behind a tree. 'We'll be fine without him, I have another protector who can watch over Caleb when I can't' she said and stroked Rocky before handing him over.

Merlyn looked suspiciously at the black dog which was approaching Gail, she had witnessed the same dog tear a man's flesh from his body a few months earlier and was not sure she wanted it near her cousin.

'It's a good job it isn't your choice then isn't it?' Gail said reading her mind then signaled for her to go to Ben. When she waved them off and watched them leave Lucas's property, she took a deep breath and bent down to stroke Gideon. 'I've missed you' she said ruffling his fir and allowing him to lick her face, then led him indoors so he could guard her cousin tonight.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas rolled over in his bed and placed his hand over Gail's stomach, he opened his eyes slightly to confirm she was still asleep then moved down below the covers until he was situated comfortably between her legs. They had behaved well last night while Caleb was in the spare bedroom down the hall, in case he chose to come in after they thought he had gone to sleep. That had not happened and Lucas was confident enough that his boy was still asleep; therefore, he gently removed Gail's pyjama shorts, crept up between her legs then started licking her softly.

Gail stirred for a moment and let out a quiet moan, then opened her eyes when the familiar sensation hit her and she realised where she was and who she was with. 'Lucas stop it' she whispered as though Caleb would hear them, then just lay back into the pillows when his teasing continued.

Lucas smiled to himself at her acceptance of this act, then pushed his tongue inside her and started making patterns. He gripped her hips tight to ensure she did not struggle out of his grasp and started to nip at her sweet spot when he felt she was close to her climax.

Gail reached down and tried to pull him up to her, he nipped at her playfully for a few moments longer and then pulled himself on top of her. 'This isn't appropriate' she panted as he began to suck her neck and she could not help but stroke his back.

Lucas ran his lips over her neck, then brought his lips to hers for a passionate kiss. 'There's nothin' inappropriate about this Miss Emory...we're just two consenting parents making the most of our time together'

Gail laughed, 'Really, Parents? Is that what we are?' she asked and ran her hands over his bare chest.

Lucas shrugged, 'We might as well be...now shush and let me work Darlin'' he said teasingly and pushed her legs open fully with his knees.

Gail wrapped her legs around him and bit her lip to stifle her moan when he entered her, he moved slowly at first then began to move in and out of her faster. She gripped his back tightly and clawed her nails down it at the intense pleasure he gave her, it felt like forever since he had been inside her and she could not get enough of him.

Lucas resisted the urge to take her forcefully, aware their passionate cries would potentially wake up his boy and took her gently. He picked up the pace when he felt her nails dig into his back and he bit down on her shoulder with the exquisite feeling of being inside her. It did not take long for their climax to begin to rise within them and Lucas forced his lips onto hers when their orgasm hit at the same time. He held her in his arms as she panted against his shoulder, then pulled himself out of her and lay on her chest.

Gail took a deep breath to slow down her heart rate, this act had been unexpected and she had not wanted to do this with Caleb in the house. She was running her fingers through his caramel brown hair, when she heard a low scratching sound on the bedroom door. Lucas did not move at first; therefore, she pushed him off her and reached for a dressing gown before making her way to the bedroom door. When she opened the door and peered out she saw Gideon sat obediently on the floor, then he moved his head close to her leg and licked her affectionately. 'You boys' she said sarcastically and knelt down to stroke her guardian.

Lucas had gotten up and put some pants on when Gail opened the door, he thought Caleb was outside; however, when he saw his love kneel down it became obvious it was the incessant dog she insisted on keeping around. 'I'll go check on the boy while you get dressed Darlin', I'm sure you want to be a bit more presentable when he sees you' he said stepping over Gail and Gideon then heading towards the spare bedroom.

Caleb was awoken by a gentle knock on the bedroom door, it had taken him a while to get to sleep last night due to the change in his surroundings; however, when he finally dropped off he slept straight through and did not want to wake up now, so he buried his head in the quilt and hoped he would be left in peace.

Lucas opened the door and smiled, 'No chance of that son you're already late for school as we all overslept'

Caleb tossed and turned for a moment than sat up the the bed. 'What time is it?' he asked rubbing his eyes and yawning.

Lucas shrugged, 'About 9:00am...your cousin is gonna have a fit when she realises the time. I suggest you get ready before she does so she can't put any blame on you for being late.

Caleb got out of the bed and stretched. 'Good thinkin', I'll get dressed now'

Lucas smiled, 'You do that, I'll go see to that ol' cousin of yours and make sure you've got a bit of time to get downstairs before she does' he said with a wink and left the room.

* * *

Matt sat on the Boarding House porch waiting patiently to be picked up by Gail, it was after 11:00am and he had expected her to come straight for him after dropping Caleb at school; however, it appeared that she had other plans.

'Still no sign of her?' Loris asked as she brought him a cup of coffee.

Matt shook his head, maybe she was mad at him for letting M wander off last night. Ben had called and informed Miss Holt that the girl was safe with him but Matt knew Gail well enough to know she would not have been impressed with the girls disappearance on his watch. 'I'm sure something just came up and she won't be long' he said watching the road.

Loris sat down next to him and placed a soft hand on his knee. 'It was nice having you back here last night Matt, it's not often I get to have proper company these days and it's gotten really quiet here without Caleb'

Matt smiled, it had been good being able to sleep in his old room again and he had enjoyed Loris's company. 'Thanks for having me and for putting up with my whining last night'

Loris laughed, 'Being concerned about your friends association with Lucas Buck isn't whining Matt, it's smart. You just make sure you keep a low profile after what happened last time, Gail's a smart woman and she can take care of herself'

Matt nodded, he wished he had as much faith in his friend as he used to; however, the truth was she had changed, there was something strange about her these days and it worried him. 'I'm on my best behaviour Loris...I won't be giving Lucas Buck any reason to lock me up again. don't you worry about that' he said and continued to watch every car that drove past hoping it was his friend.

* * *

Gail sat in the public Library with M searching through archived records. Gail had allowed Lucas to take Caleb to school, knowing Selena would not scold the boy in front of Lucas, then she met up with Ben for their usual morning coffee and took M off his hands. She was starting to think of Ben as her rock, their morning coffee was the only constant routine she had and the fact that he came without argument or hesitation last night to pick up this girl for her showed that he was a true friend.

When Gail left Ben she decided to make use of M and enlisted her help in attempting to discover who R.B was. She had kept the ring she had found hidden from Lucas, as she was determined to find out who was buried in his back garden and she felt the ring belonged to the same person. The study she had stumbled across had intrigued her and she was more determined than ever to dig into her lovers history.

'Are you sure we should be doin' this? He's not gonna be happy if you find somethin'...maybe you should just leave the past alone and focus on the present' Merlyn said, knowing Lucas would not react well if they found something that he wanted to remain hidden.

'I'm sick of focusing on the present and everybody else...' Gail said as she sifted through old newspaper clippings, '...it's about time I got back to how I used to be. Besides, this is important...I can feel it'

Merlyn felt completely useless without her powers, if she could have enlisted the insight of her fallen family she might have been able to steer her cousin in the right direction and satisfy her intrigue quicker. It was nice being able to be with her brother again; however, she was not convinced that she was better off like this and the powerless feeling she now had took her back to how her life was when her father was alive.

'Oh for god's sake stop feeling sorry for yourself...we all make our choices and we all have to find our way' Gail said subconsciously reading her mind whilst skimming through an article.

Merlyn considered her cousins words and sighed 'I don't even know where to begin' she said standing up and walking over to a bookshelf.

Gail shook her head, she sensed she was so close to finding something but she was beginning to lose her concentration. She pushed the newspaper clippings to one side and stood up. 'Look, life is hard and we all just have to deal with it. I've been where you are but at a younger age, you need to think about what you want and what type of person you want to be...it's easy to get lost and to give up, but that is not an option if you're to remain with us and there's nothing wrong with asking for help if you need it'

Merlyn nodded, she understood that she must be a burden and she appreciated everything her cousin was doing for her. 'I need help' she said accepting that she could not come to terms with everything on her own.

Gail sighed, it appeared Lucas was right about her taking on other peoples problems; however, she could not deny the connection she felt with this girl and Lucas would just have to deal with it. 'It takes a lot to admit that and there's no shame in asking for assistance. I'll help you with whatever you need, providing you're not looking for an easy ride...that's something I never got and it's certainly something that I don't condone'

Merlyn smiled, she had never had it easy in her life or her death and she was not about to expect that now. 'That's certainly not what I'm lookin' for ma'am...' Merlyn laughed then turned serious, '...What are you gonna with Matt?'

Gail had completely forgotten about picking Matt up at the Boarding House and cursed out load when she glanced at the clock on the wall. 'Damn it!...Well, it's a good job someone's paying attention isn't it?'

Merlyn watched as Gail started to pack up the newspaper clippings, she could sense her cousin was angry and could not tell whether it was at forgetting about Matt or because she could not continue with her investigation. 'I could stay here and continue lookin' if you want?'

Gail stopped what she was doing and turned towards M, 'I can't just leave you here'

Merlyn shrugged, she did not want to go against Lucas when she no longer had her spiritual support; however, she did not think Lucas would dare to try anything with her while he was romantically involved with her cousin. 'Of course you can, someone's gotta pick up the slack while you're sortin' out things'

Gail smiled, it appeared the girl was trying to show her worth. 'OK, but you be careful and call me if you find anything or if you want to leave'

Merlyn nodded and waved as Gail rushed out of the room to pick up Matt.

* * *

Matt sat with Billy in his old office, eating a cheeseburger. Billy had spotted him sat on the Boarding House porch alone when he was passing in his car and offered to take him into work with him so he was not sat on his own. Matt liked Billy and had no hard feelings against the man for taking his position at the hospital, he had no one to blame over his downfall but himself.

'You didn't change much' Matt said as he surveyed the room curiously.

Billy shrugged, 'I wasn't planning on staying in this town that long'

Matt laughed, 'And how's that working out for you?'

'Over a year and counting' Billy said smiling and checked his phone, he had text Gail to inform her where Matt was and knew she was on her way.

* * *

Gail rushed up the hospital steps and nearly walked straight into Doctor Charlton when she hurried through the entrance. 'I'm sorry Doctor Charlton...'

'Larry...' he said interrupting her, '...and I was hoping I would catch you at some point today'

Gail was not in the mood for pleasantries but made herself stop seen as Rosie had made such an effort to run into the Doctor yesterday. 'OK Larry, I've got a spare few minutes...what's up?' she asked sweetly.

Larry smiled and led her to his office so they could talk in private, he had not been able to get their unexpected meeting yesterday out of his mind and he had pondered over what she had brought to his attention all night. 'So, Billy has accepted the position in Juniper but now we're down a good Doctor...what do you think we should do about that?'

Gail smiled warmly and began to pace the office, glancing at Larry's certificates on the wall. He appeared to trust her and value her opinion; however, she was unsure as to why. 'I remember you saying you knew my father at the Halloween party, were you close?' she asked curiously.

Larry laughed, 'I was close with your grandfather and your father Gail...I was devastated after what happened, it was a tragedy for us all' he said sadly and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Gail rolled her eyes while her back was turned away from him. She did not require comfort, her father had been a bastard and her mother sought solace in another mans arms due to that fact. What she wanted was answers, she still wanted to learn more about her family regardless of whether the truth would upset her or not and it appeared this man may be able to provide some insight into her father. 'It was a tragedy like so many occurrences in this town...we'll have to get together and talk about my father at some point, but that's a subject for another time. So you're concerned about who can replace Billy?'

Larry nodded, 'I'm concerned that we don't have anyone as skilled as the man to take his place'

Gail was confused, it appeared Larry was coming to her for advice before taking the question to the group or to Lucas. 'Well you have someone more qualified to take back the role, if you could look past his history' she said, choosing to take advantage of the situation while she could.

Larry could guess where this was going and knew Lucas would have his hide for even considering her subtle suggestion; however, the Emory's were always big thinkers and he would trust any member of that families judgement. Gail had somehow managed to work her way up in life with no help, this went a long way in Larry's book. He secretly wanted his old friend Peters council, he had missed that with his friends untimely death and it appeared the man's daughter was just as confident in her way of thinking as he was. 'Let's pretend for one moment that what you're suggesting could be possible, how would we change the public's perspective of the man...you can't have a care giver that everyone is afraid of'

Gail smiled cunningly, she had allowed Rosie to take control of the ending of her article and she was fully aware of what her dark half had written. 'You mean people are scared of the good Doctor who was tricked by some evil, sadistic old woman into taking a shot at the Sheriff to protect certain people in this town? Have you read the front page of the Guardian this morning Larry?' she asked sweetly.

Larry turned the paper over on his desk, he had been too preoccupied to read the Guardian this morning and he had not noticed her Juniper article was on the front page. Larry glanced at her and shook his head, not being able to hide a smile. 'Our good Sheriff isn't gonna like this Gail'

Gail shrugged and smiled, 'I'm just going where the story leads me. Our good Sheriff has no bearing on what I write about, I only report on the truth and will continue to do so no matter what group I belong to...Matt Crower is a troubled man and we all have our share of demons. What he did was a case of temporary insanity and he will not be manipulated into anything like that again'

Larry took a deep intake of breath then sighed. 'Can you guarantee that? If I am to consider what you're implying, I'm gonna get it from all sides'

Gail was not stupid and she sensed that Larry was desperately trying to connect with her, possibly due to the friendship he had with her father; therefore, she would use his weakness to her advantage. 'Did my father ever lead you down the wrong path Larry?...I can assure you if Matt Crower was any risk at all I would not allow him near my only living relative'

Larry smiled, she had the determination of her father and his father before him so he would trust her judgement. Besides, he had no other candidates to step up to take on the role and he used to respect Matt Crower with all the help he provided for the people in this town. 'OK Gail, you've won me over...let's get Doctor Peele out of here and we'll consider what we can do for your friend'

Gail smiled and patted Larry on the shoulder reassuringly. 'You won't regret this' she said and headed out to find her friends.

* * *

Lucas sat in his office with Caleb, trying to review some incident reports Ben had left for him. He had chosen not to take the boy to school, despite his love believing that was his intention and brought him to work with him instead. Caleb had been excited that he was spending the day with his father; however, he was beginning to get bored sat at the other side of the desk. He tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk, which caused Lucas to look up from what he was doing. 'Am I boring you son?'

Caleb glanced at Lucas and gulped, he had not meant to disturb him he was just restless. 'Can I help?' he asked.

Lucas laughed, 'You want to look through my incident reports? I can assure you they aren't as entertainin' as them Stephen King novels your cousin allows you to read'

Caleb smiled, 'How do you know? I might find somethin' interestin' that you missed?'

Lucas shook his head, it was obvious Caleb needed something to do and seen as Lucas could not completely disregard his duties just because his son was with him, he would allow him to help with his day to day tasks. 'Alright son, knock yourself out...I'm overdue readin' the happenings of your cousins paper anyhow' he said passing Caleb the reports and picking up the Trinity Guardian which Ben had picked up for him earlier.

As soon as Lucas saw the Juniper headline he became agitated, he had thought this little game of puppet master with Billy would have stopped Gail from reporting on the institution and he was disappointed that she had decided to go ahead with the article. He read through the experimental procedures she had detailed and the insinuations that some staff were corrupt with gritted teeth; however, it was the story she spun on Matt Crower that really made made his blood boil, she had painted him like some sort of night in shining armour who had attempted to save the innocent townspeople from some evil thing. Her portrayal of the man sickened him and he was annoyed at himself for not putting a stop to this article sooner.

When Lucas threw the paper on the floor angrily, Caleb looked up from the reports curiously. It was not often he saw Lucas display anger and when he saw Gail's name on the front page he knew she was the cause of his outburst. 'Gail always says she can't help but write about the truth, no matter who it will upset...There's no stoppin' her doin' that' he said trying to defend his cousin.

'Sometimes the truth is best left alone son...and I was having such a relaxin' day' Lucas said and stood up from his desk.

'Where are you goin'?' Caleb asked curiously.

Lucas smiled devilishly, 'We are goin' to find out what your cousin is really up to' he said and signalled for Caleb to follow him out of the office.

* * *

Gail stood with Merlyn and Matt on the Pier, watching the unruly waves of the River swirl below them. She had taken Matt from the hospital when Billy was called into a meeting with Doctor Charlton to finalize the position in Juniper and she had chosen that moment to swing by the Library for M so they could all grab a bite to eat. Gail herself was not hungry as she had much to contemplate regarding her discussion with Doctor Charlton and the mysterious initials R.B; therefore, she bought Matt and M some fish sticks then decided a stroll along the Pier would help organise the multitude of thoughts in her head.

'I could help you do that Darlin', all you gotta do is share some of them secrets that you're storin' away up there' Lucas said reading her mind as he approached the group with Caleb following close behind.

Caleb had not wanted to find Gail, knowing she would be mad when she saw he had not made it to school so he skulked behind Lucas when he chose to make their presence known.

Gail turned towards the interruption and shook her head disapprovingly at Lucas. 'If you can't even get him to school, how can I trust you with anything else?' she asked and patted Matt on the shoulder to indicate for him to stay looking out into the water, she did not want him to be bothered by Lucas before she could talk to him.

'Talk to him about what Darlin'? About your article and the hero he's been portrayed as, or is there something else you're plannin'?' Lucas asked and moved closer to Gail, at this point he did not care how close Caleb was as he could sense some of his control being challenged.

Gail smiled and disregarded everyone but Lucas, she could tell he sensed something was going on and it must be killing him being kept in the dark. 'I'm not planning anything Sheriff, I just appear to be around when fortunate things are happening these days and I can't help it if my family name is opening doors for me in this town'

Lucas stopped with his body only an inch away from hers, it was irritating him that her mind seemed to be closed off and he could not figure out what she was up to. 'You have a powerful name in this town Miss Emory, it doesn't hold as much weight as mine but it's important all the same. You care to share what doors have been opened for you? Enquirin' minds wanna know'

Gail laughed and bit her lip teasingly, 'Now that would be telling Sheriff...now you wanna tell me why you couldn't complete the simple task of escorting my cousin to school?'

Lucas shrugged, 'The boy wasn't feelin' well so I kept him with me in case he needed parental support' he said sarcastically.

Gail quickly glanced at Matt to ensure he had not heard Lucas then leaned in close to her lover. 'I swear to god if you tell him what you are to Caleb...'

'You'll what?...' Lucas interrupted staring down challenging her, '...This is no ones business but ours Darlin''

Gail shook her head, she did not have the time nor the energy to get into this with him right now. 'Come down off your high horse Sheriff, you're just pissed that I found out what caused my friends breakdown and publicised it. I won't apologise for doing my job'

Lucas smiled, 'I've got no problem with you doin' your job Darlin' I just wish sometimes you wouldn't do it so well' he said and leaned forward to inhale her scent.

Gail affectionately rubbed her nose on his, then suddenly remembered their present company and took a step back. 'It's not in my nature to perform to a low standard Sheriff, you know that. You're going to have to get used to this with me working for a local paper, either that or start behaving in a manner where the focus is projected away from you'

Lucas laughed, 'Now where would the fun be in that?...I'm gonna keep Caleb with me for the rest of the day, I'll drop him off later' he said as he started to walk away from the group and signalled for Caleb to follow him.

Gail was going to protest; however, Caleb quickly fell in line behind Lucas which indicated he wanted to stay with him, so she chose leave them be for the moment while she sorted out Matt.

* * *

Billy sighed as he walked around the overly bright Head Doctors office in Juniper House, he could not believe he had accepted such an uninteresting position and did not know where to even begin in sorting this institution out.

'You can begin by signin' this' Lucas said strolling into the room casually with a contract in his hand.

Billy rolled his eyes at Lucas's appearance, then narrowed his eyes at the man when he saw Caleb walk in behind him. 'Shouldn't you be in school Champ?' Billy asked suspiciously.

Caleb shook his head, 'I'm helpin' Lucas today...wow, this office is huge!'

Lucas laughed, 'It's much bigger than mine...' Lucas said to Caleb, '...this is a little extravagant even for my taste'

Billy glanced around the room again and shook his head in disgust, it was clear Doctor Monroe put a lot into the place to make it look pristine; however, this was not Billy at all and he would be changing the office the first chance he got. 'Does Gail know he's with you?' Billy asked.

Lucas smiled devilishly, 'Do you think I'd allow you to witness us together if she didn't Doc? Enough about the boy, I'm here for you...so you accepted the position after all that uncertainty huh?'

Billy shrugged, 'People made some convincing arguments...in the end I couldn't resist'

Lucas shook his head, 'It appears my love has that affect on people, you'll have to share her method of persuasion one day' he said knowingly.

Billy shifted uncomfortably on the spot, he was not scared of Lucas but the way he was staring him down at the moment was as though he could see right into his soul.

Lucas smiled, the affect he had on people always amused him. 'Relax Doc, I've actually come bearing gifts...you've been thrown to the wolves here and for once it was not my doin'. I know you don't wanna be tied down here and like Gail you believe you can control your own destiny, so I've put a little clause in your contract which allows you to leave whenever you want'

Billy took the contract Lucas held out to him and glanced over it suspiciously. 'Why would you do that? We don't exactly get on'

'I told you, you're growin' on me Billy-boy...besides, if you decide to up and leave I don't want anythin' delaying you long enough to doubt that decision'

Billy smiled, this was more like the Lucas he had come to know. 'Unfortunately for you I'll be around here a little longer yet Buck, but I appreciate the get out of jail free card you've slipped in here' he said glancing over the contract.

Lucas was beginning to develop a soft spot for Billy, although the mans arrogance could be infuriating. He had no desire at the present time for Billy to leave as he had plans for him later on down the line; therefore, adding this clause into the contract allowed Lucas to take back some control over the situation and made Billy begin to question the complete distrust he held for him. 'Well it looks like you're all set to go ahead with the position Doc...we'll arrange a drink to celebrate with Ben at some point, but in the meantime me and the boy are gonna go do some patrollin'' he said as he walked out of the office and left Billy to ponder over his new position.

* * *

Gail lay on her bed taking in the peace and quiet. She had debated with Matt over the best place of residence for him and they had both decided the Boarding House would be a suitable option, as it allowed him to have his privacy in addition to providing him with supervision and support. Gail had dropped him off with his belongings, then dropped M off at Poppy's place; therefore, she finally had her house to herself.

Gail sighed and closed her eyes, it had been a strange few days and she was relieved Matt's release had gone without incident. All she had to do now was help him get fully integrated back into society and it looked like Doctor Charlton was going to assist with part of that. She smiled to herself over the whole situation, it had felt strange allowing Rosie to take control; however, it had all worked out and the things Rosie had done managed to speed up a lot of processes so Gail had not been caught up in the drama of it all for that long.

It appeared the presence within her had done good and no one had gotten hurt along the way, this made Gail want to understand more about her other half as she was more curious than ever. Her train of thought was interrupted by the soft kiss that was placed on her lips, Gail opened her eyes to see Lucas leaning over her and allowed him to kiss her again. 'And here I was thinking I was finally alone' she said as she propped herself up on her elbows.

Lucas smiled, 'No one is every really alone in this town Darlin'' he said laying down beside her and gently stroking her stomach.

Gail shook her head and lay back down, 'Where's Caleb?' she asked.

Lucas shrugged, 'He's out and about somewhere with Boone...where's your other dependents?'

Gail copied Lucas and shrugged, 'Out and about I guess...are you still on duty?' she asked moving her hand to his shirt and pulling at the buttons teasingly.

Lucas could sense her playfulness coming out and moved his hand underneath her vest. 'That doesn't matter, the town can take care of itself while I see to some personal business' he said and squeezed her breast gently.

Gail rolled over and situated herself on top of him, she smiled when Lucas took a deep intake of breath at her sudden movements. 'And what personal business would that be Sheriff?' she asked as she ripped his shirt open one button at a time.

Lucas ran his hands over her bare legs and under her long skirt, he squeezed her buttocks hard then grabbed her tight as he manoeuvred himself on top of her and unzipped his pants to free his manhood. 'Oh you'll see soon enough Miss Emory' he said as he forced her legs open with his knees, ripped off her panties and thrust himself deep inside her.

Gail called out at his sudden entry, she was prepared for more foreplay; however, it appeared he could not wait and he began thrusting in and out of her forcefully. Gail called out at the intense pleasure he was given her and clawed at his back with her nails.

Lucas had decided he wanted to be in full control and wanted her hard, so he squeezed her breasts tight in his hand and pushed deeper inside her when she called out his name. He could feel his orgasm building as he kept pounding in and out of her, while nipping at her neck and biting her shoulders. When the sensation became too intense he felt himself erupt inside her and bit down hard on her neck, piercing through her skin. He savored the taste of her blood on his lips and licked the wound tenderly after he felt her reach her climax.

Gail lay motionless on the bed, as he licked the wound he had just inflicted upon her. She could never be mad with any bruises or cuts she got from him, it was all part of their sexual encounters and he ended up with as much torn flesh as she did. She allowed him to remain inside her for a few minutes, then rolled him over and pulled him out of her. 'I suppose I best go find my dependents' she said placing a gently kiss on his chest and getting up off the bed.

Lucas shook his head, 'You can't just lay here and relax?'

Gail laughed, 'My life isn't relaxing Lucas...besides, you're still on duty' she said looking in her wardrobe for some clean clothes.

Lucas rolled over and got out of the bed, then approached Gail from behind and gripped her hips. 'You're lucky I'm still on duty otherwise I would've bent you over my knee and gave you a spanking for the tricks you've pulled these past few days' he whispered and nipped at her ear.

Gail leaned back into Lucas for a moment, then turned around to face him. 'Tricks? All I did was whisper a few suggestions in a little birds ear, I can't be held accountable for what actions a little bird takes...Now get out of my way, I have two stray children to locate' she said walking past him with a pair of jeans in her hand.

Lucas shook his head as she left, he did not like that she had managed to whisper in Doctor Charlton's ear to manipulate him to act on her behalf; however, it did make things interesting. He would be keeping an eye on her movements going forward to ensure her games did not affect the running of his town.

The End


End file.
